


Blues

by EnvelopesYou



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Musicians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-04-11 16:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4443818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnvelopesYou/pseuds/EnvelopesYou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's strange meeting your idol- especially when that idol idolizes you right back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The blue piano traveled randomly throughout the city. Usually in the big squares and parks- no one ever saw anyone moving it. No one ever saw it getting hefted. One morning it would be somewhere and the next it’d be halfway across the island. This time the show was happening in Union Square, home of the most ingenious and obnoxious panhandlers; place where the tourists crossed constantly, and the business people moved in and out of. She’d promised that if she was going to do another show, that’s where you’d find her. And that’s where she was. 

It had taken a long few years to gain any sort of recognition- and it wasn’t even by her own doing that she stumbled into it. A recording of one of her jams on the blue piano caught the attention of the internet and it was all downhill from there. The piled up bills, the suffering, the nights without food; motif of the starving artist finally had it all pan out after some of the darkest years of her life. Happenstance. That’s all it was. 

Labels bickered over the next biggest thing and suddenly instead of playing for change she was suddenly playing sold out stadiums across the country. But her home was the platform that gave her credence to every single one of her troubles. YouTube was the place to find her- well, that and the summer blue piano. Wherever it was, that’s where she’d be, too. What was once a few hands clapping and hundreds more passing by turned into fanciful shows that went on into evening. She had a professional videographer now, to capture these performances that people loved. And of course, they loved the covers, but there was a heaping, growing stock of people that loved her original work. The stuff her soul was made out of. 

He was one of them.  
And the stumbling onto the blue piano was as serendipitous as the upload that had drew every pair of eyes her way. He’d been exiting from a meeting at the city’s YouTube space while visiting family. Nostalgia filled every sidewalk. Nothing ever changed, even if the people came and went. Before taking a car back out- on a schedule, no less, he’d had the most unbelievable pang of hunger. What better way to treat himself to lunch than to sit in the Square and watch people pass by? 

There it was.  
The blue piano. 

It didn’t belong to her, so there was never any real guarantee that she’d show up. Play a show. None at all. But he’d never have the chance again after this. So he ate his sandwich. Slowly. As slow as possible. Let people know he was going to be late. Because he had to wait, right? Was that too crazy? He wondered if he was being ridiculous as an hour turned into two. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Quiet hope began the slow turn away-

But then. No mistaking her as she crossed over one of the green patches with a beautiful smile on her face. He shifted up in his seat, not too far away but not close enough if people gathered. And they would. She was one of the city’s well known now. She had every right to be. 

He crumpled up the wrappers in a tightly closed, too excited, fist and dropped them off in the garbage nearest. Then he shuffled forward as her fingers touched the keys after falling onto the bench, swinging her legs up and under. A soft warm up of nothing at all that was accompanied by her voice. Danny was struck with the feeling that this was just the chance to see her in person. Listen to her play. Compare it to the hundreds of tracks that littered his ipod and then-

Oh, god. When had he gotten like this?  
He’d said once before- more than once, in fact, that meeting people with a status like hers meant nothing in the long run. He, himself, knew this feeling. While he was grateful for his fans, both those from Grumps and NSP- once he shook hands, thanked them, hugged them, signed something, it was over. They moved on. He wasn’t without heroes. People he really longed to meet- some of them he’d already fulfilled, some not. But she was on that list. She had been for years. To think that at any moment before this they could have bumped shoulders at a bar or walked into each other in the city...

But no. Now he was standing on the outside looking in. Knowing exactly what that was like- knowing exactly why it was wrong. But when she played and drew everyone her way, his knees felt like mush. Close to buckling. MP3s didn’t do it justice. YouTube didn’t do her justice. He regretted not being able to go to any of her concerts, being too busy himself with his own music. A hard worker, just like she was. And if he could only shake her hand or tell her how much she inspired him-.... 

He swallowed and tried to get a hold of himself. He was too old to be playing starry-eyed to a pseudo-celeb. He knew better than that. And he knew how creepy he’d come off. So instead he sat on the bench that was closest and listened to her. All night.   
All night he listened. Rocked out. Sang along with her. Grinned like an idiot. Enjoyed himself. Had a good time. So close. He was so close. 

Late afternoon bled into dusty evening and way too soon it was over. People overwhelmed her and she only had a few handlers it seemed. When they tried to get a hold of the situation she turned and bolted down the steps into the subway entrance. That should have been it. He should have stood up and walked the other way. Gotten into his car. Gone where he was supposed to have been hours ago. 

Instead he found his long legs carrying him down the same set of stairs. He couldn’t believe what an incredible idiot he was being as he paid for a metro card and swiped it, looking down the platform to try and locate her. It was incredibly quiet, but that made sense. There was a rowdy crowd up there, still looking around for her. Anyone who was smart would have taken a different train until it died down. She was all the way at the end, waiting for the last car. 

This was stupid. So stupid. What was he even going to do? Being a creep didn’t even come close to what he was doing. He was following her now- and for what? What to say? Nothing. None of it mattered. He’d just approach her, scare her, shake her hand, watch her nod while he said how much her music meant to him and then they’d never see each other again. But wasn’t it worth at least that one thing? No. Probably not. But- 

The train screeched into the station and he hadn’t made enough headway to get to where she was. Now he’d actually have to board and take this while also trying to close in on her on the train. 

Fuck. This. When had he turned into such a scumbag? He would have been mortified if anyone went to these lengths to talk to him. Why do this to someone else? 

Because- because he couldn’t help himself.   
Stupid. So stupid. 

And when he walked between the cars and finally got to the last one she was sitting in the last two-seater, headphones on, bopping her head along as she mouthed words to herself. The car was empty. And he was crossing over. There he was. Being unbelievably dumb. 

Better get it over with quick. 

She was distracted, but not enough to disobey the common laws of traveling. Ninja Sex Party was blasting in her ears. Music was a form of protection. With her headphones on nobody expected much from her. Most were scared to approach and break her out of it. People didn’t ask for money when they knew she couldn’t hear them. No one asked her to sign things. Music was her safe space. Had been for a long time. 

But she was no longer safe.  
Someone was approaching. Quickly. They’d entered the car, which very well could have meant they were looking for her- followed her down after the show. The adrenaline of the night still hadn’t worn off. She’d run so quickly there was no hope of that happening for a while yet. It made this that much more dangerous. She didn’t want to look-

It was a guy. For sure. She kept her head down, stopped mouthing words to herself and only rocked her head back and forth, becoming a little self conscious. Tall. Tall guy hiding his build in a leather jacket. Not good. He was coming. Coming for her. She kept her eyes down. Go away. Go away...

But he wouldn’t. And soon he was standing right to her left. She’d made the grave mistake of wedging herself into the right of the seat so that the momentum wouldn’t bother her from station to station. But that gave anyone the excuse of sitting down. He would, probably. Or maybe not? He was just standing there, holding on to the rail. ....or probably he was talking. 

She decided that there was no escaping this situation, and if she just ignored him it could get very ugly very quick. She’d learned that lesson the hard way once already. So she pulled her headphones down to rest around her neck. 

“Hey- sorry- are you talking to me?” What do you want, what do you want? Go away... 

“Yeah- um. Look, I know I’m being a total creep right now. This is probably the worst thing I’ve done in a really long time.” Oh god was he going to ask for her number? Was anyone else in the car? There was no one to help! “I just wanted to say that your music means a lot to me.” No one to help- deranged fan- 

All the ways this situation could have gone wrong collapsed in on her. And then they vanished in a fluttery goodbye as she realized she knew that voice.   
Oh. Did she know it...  
Her eyes actually went up and there he was. Standing there in all his ridiculously lanky, dopey, smiley glory. He even ran his hand back through his wild brown hair. “Oh- wow.” One of those things that you think will never happen to you. Being approached by someone who meant so much to you in the realm of just-outside-of-your-reach. -! And worse yet?! Had he said- “Am I being punked right now?” Her heart was aflutter with a different sort of fear.

“Excuse me?” He seemed very confused. “Look- like I said, I know it’s late and this is probably the last thing you want after such a jammin’ show but-“

“You’re Danny Sexbang!” No way, no way! How? Why? -and he’d been watching the whole show? Oh god. To think she’d only been giving it half her best. How embarrassing! 

His eyes blinked a few times in rapid succession. As if trying to clear the gunk out of his vision. “Uh- excuse me?” Said again before he grinned to himself, which sparked much the same expression from her. “Waitwaitwaitwait- no wait. Gimme like a second to process this shit.” He put his hand to his forehead before sliding it back through his hair one more time. “I’m the one being punked, right? Gotta be. Did Brian put you up to this somehow?” 

The only response she could think of that would pull them out of this no-way-loop was to pull her phone from her pocket and hold it up. NSP’s new album Attitude City displayed proudly- as did the song 6969 on pause, waiting for her eventual return. There was this weird sort of stardom barrier that was hard to overcome- and it was from both sides. How strange. “I love your music.” Trying not to gush at him.

Which really tugged at his heart, because wasn’t that what he’d been trying not to do to her? He finally slid into sitting next to her. “I-ah-“ A little tongue tied. “This is really weird. Like I didn’t expect anything but to annoy you and be on my way. This is uh- a little surreal. You gotta gimme another minute.” Laughing to himself, and when it provoked the same noise out of her he felt something else. 

Something awfully wonderful. And awfully stupid. 

“I saw you coming up, I thought like is this guy gonna come cause problems? My heart was beating a mile a minute!” So glad that this was basically the opposite of that situation in every conceivable way. 

“I’m so sorry. Fuck- I knew I was being weird but all I could think about was like I just wanted the one chance, and I was sure I was probably never gonna see you again.” What a damn shame that would have been. For sure. “Basically I just broke every protocol I have and hope my fans never do this kinda shit to me.” 

“Well I’m very flattered you went all out of your comfort zone for me.” Among other things. Many other things. The train finally stopped in a station, doors opened, no one came in, and they closed again. She shuffled a little more to the side so that she could get a good look at him- the squigglies began immediately. “It’s so weird- right? To think like I’ve been listening to your bands for so long-“

“Yeah- mm,” Nodding, “Me too. Or. Err. Just the one. That you have. But you know what I mean.” He was getting stilted the more embarrassed he became. Unavoidable. 

“We have to know somebody that knows somebody. If I’d known... I would have tried.” To reach out to him. To think that Danny Sexbang wanted anything to do with her! Unbelievable! 

He nodded. “Oh, for sure! But that’s like such a delicate process. You don’t wanna think about the person you’ve liked for so long getting a phone call and being all ugh who’s this dickhole?” 

She giggled, hand flying over her mouth the wider her smile went. “Is that what you think of me?” 

“Oh! God no!” Putting both his hands up quickly to try and diffuse the situation. “Of course not!” When she continued laughing, eyes crinkling at the corners, he felt better. “But I didn’t wanna assume it was just okay for this random asshole to come out of nowhere and be like- yo, what’s up! PAY ATTENTION TO ME.” His laughter followed almost immediately after raising his voice. 

Once the amusement died down and she could breathe again, “To be fair you’re hardly just some random asshole.” 

“I am the randomest and the assholest. Don’t be fooled.” Smirking just a little. Then his shoulders came up in a shrug. “Besides, like... my band is about dicks and sex? You never really know who your audience is and I didn’t- uh-... wow. This is like shitting all over myself. But you seemed better than that?” 

“And me! What a terrible thing to say!” Implying that his image of her had gone down the drain knowing she listened to his silly music. 

“Ohguh-“ Caught up in the moment, not sure what to say. “Ugh! I’m the worst. Wow. Fuck man. I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean it like that I swear!” 

She just smiled at him. “I know, I was just kidding.” The car stopped again, and once more no one came in to interrupt them. “This is still so surreal.” 

“Tell me about it.” His tone had dropped a few octaves, into something sweet and warm. “I don’t even know what’s right here... I guess I had my moment and I should fuck off, right?” He guessed but he really, really... really hoped that wasn’t it. Not now.. not after this. Sitting there talking with her like they’d known each other for years- finding out she was into the stupid shit he put out. How did life turn out to be this way? 

“No!” Refusing that sentiment quickly. “If nothing else we need to trade numbers- I’d... really like to sing something with you sometime.” Danny’s voice was intoxicating. Always had been. “If that makes me the creep now I wholly assume responsibility.” Nodding sagely to herself as she accepted her fate. 

But it was the same to him. “Ohuh-“ Another noise of confusion as his brain tried to comprehend that he hadn’t somehow been hit by a cab and slipped into a coma. Dreaming of- “You kinda just offered me like one of the things on my bucket list.” How to even respond to that? He had no idea. 

“Oh stop.” Unable to take that much praise from him. It couldn’t be. Just couldn’t have been. Her face was warming... 

“I’m fucking serious.” And when she just shook her head and repeated the plea for a cease he decided it was all or nothing. “Twenty Days? Slim Nights? Electric Sky?” Listing off some of the most played songs in his library- she didn’t have a best-of because all her songs were the best, but he couldn’t just sit there and name them all. Even if he totally could. “When I think about how close we were to just running into each other at the Drom or the Bitter End or something? It used to drive me nuts.” He almost wanted to stop talking. Because this was going too far- but the way she was looking at him, hanging on his words like she knew exactly how he felt. Because maybe she did. Maybe this wasn’t a fever dream. “So yes- fucking yes! It’s one of the things I’ve wanted to do forever!” Collabing with her. 

Unbelievable. 

Getting lost in the possibilities- but most of all his dark brown eyes (oh god, what was happening?!), she nearly missed the next time the car doors opened. “Hey- come on really quick!” She could miss her stop for sure, talk with him on the train all night, but the longer they waited, the more likely it was that people would get on and bother them. At least make it so that they couldn’t talk. So she hopped up and was just short of grabbing him by the arm to follow. 

They got out just as the doors were closing, went through the turnstyle together and then up the steps and back into the night air. He followed because he had nothing else better to do- or- scratch that, the plans that he’d had before were nothing compared to what was happening. He followed because this was too great of an opportunity to pass up- and... he followed because.. well... 

The apartment building wasn’t that far. Convenient for how close it actually was to the subway stop. That’s what she liked most about it. Once by the steps she stopped in the wash of the orange street light and fished her phone back out. “Can I get a picture? Is that a weird thing to ask?” It wasn’t just to commemorate this- to remember it- to ...admittedly get close to him.

“Totally cool thing to ask. I would’ve if you hadn’t, to be honest.” Smiling down at her as she held up the phone at arm’s length. And then... when that wasn’t enough he laughed softly. “Here-“ Taking it out of her hands so that he could hold it far enough away and angle it down. He tilted his head while she did her own. His expression tried for that stupidly-cool look while he busied his free hand throwing up devil horns. She busied her own with pointing up at him and being just too excited. 

He snapped a couple, just to make sure they got a good one- and was a little disappointed when he had to give it back to her. Because she’d been leaning back against him. And it was- 

“Thanks. If it’s cool can I post it to my twitter?” Asking for too much. “Look at me. Who’s being the creep now?” 

“Still me, I think.” Grinning with a show of his teeth as he watched her tip-tap at her phone. “I mean I did follow you out of your show and to your apartment. I think if there’s a winner it’s definitely me.” 

The picture went up immediately with the caption ‘Look who I ran into! Unbelievable!!’. But unbelievable didn’t even come close. “I still totally wanna do something with you.” Music, lewdly so, had taken a back seat to all the list of possibilities... not that anyone needed to know. “Are you in the city long?” 

His frown was quick and for a second he flinched as if being struck across the face. Breaking realization. “No- no. Fuck. I’m going back to California in two days.” He could- he could push it back. This was worth that. Worth way more than that.

“Hey, that’s okay!” Not ready to give up. “We can trade numbers and figure it out as we go.” That was how she’d lived her entire life, so this had to be no different. 

“Oh-hoh- did you just ask for my digits, girl?” Trying to play it cool with a gentle tease. 

She, unfortunately, wasn’t as cool as he was pretending to be. “Was that wrong?” 

He made another rumbly noise- “Fuck man no- I was just kidding. Oh god...” She was so cute. Oh god... “You’re gonna have to get used to the foot-in-mouth syndrome. It also pairs with I’m-a-huge-asshole disease.” He held his palm up, fingers rolling inwards to indicate ‘give me’. When she dropped her phone into his palm with little hesitation he went to set himself in her contacts. 

“A girl could get used to that, I guess.” Could she ever. When he handed her the phone back, the tingly feeling that traveled up over her arms, up her neck, and into her head was almost too much to handle. There he was in her phone. Dan Avidan. A real number. “I’ll text you.” She would. ...she’d also have to figure out how long to wait to make it seem like she wasn’t over invested. ...how long was that? 

“Cool.” How long would she wait? Hopefully not very... 

“Are you gonna be okay getting back?” It wasn’t too late, but-

“Hey I’m a big boy and I’m used to these mean streets.” Laughing already because they were hardly anywhere near anything considered ‘mean streets’. The island just wasn’t like that. At least not as much as he thought he remembered. “But thanks for the almost-escort.”   
Thanks for worrying about me. And- 

“Aaaand this is gonna be the cheesiest shit but I gotta say it.” He found himself regretting even letting it go. “Thanks for the music.” 

That was it. The moment she died. Her bones were in the process of melting into a puddle. Did Danny of all people just thank her? For music? Pink overtook her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, the tips of her ears... “Oh stop.” Please god stop. She couldn’t take much more. “If anyone deserves thanks it’s you. Your vocals are amazing.” Stretching the word out as it came straight from her heart. From everything she felt when she listened to him. “You’ve gotten me through some pretty rough times.” 

Was this real life? He found himself wondering. Perhaps he indeed got hit by a car crossing at just the last seconds of a yellow-to-red. Had to be. Just had to be. “Uhagh-! I dunno if I can take this.” Trying to be honest about the way it brushed his euphoria to be talked at like that by someone he considered an idol. “I gotta go before I ruin it. Or say something stupid.” Running his hands through his hair defensively, hiding his face as he did, scratching at his scalp. 

“Okay.” She’d let him go because she was just as close. But she also found herself wondering if they could ever get over this hurdle. It was a rather large one. Would they ever be anything other than two musicians who found joy in each other’s works? Maybe not... “I’ll text you. Be safe out there on those mean streets.” Tucking her head down with a furrow of her brow in slight admonishment before losing it in a small laugh. Then she waved and disappeared up the steps, trying not to run. But as soon as she got the front door open and got into the hall, away from where he could see her, she wiggled her hips. Jumped a little. All the extra energy threatening to over take her.

Giddiness.  
She felt giddy. 

Danny’s feet wouldn’t work immediately. Wouldn’t take him away. Wouldn’t let him go. Instead they locked to the cement as she walked away, making him watch as she retreated. Made him stay a little bit longer even after she was gone. His eyes closed briefly, remembering her exact shape, how tall she was against his build. The sound of her voice in casual conversation, in laughter, in embarrassment- 

Then he swallowed hard and forced himself to take the first steps away and back towards the subway in the opposite direction. Was this real? He kept asking himself that.   
Couldn’t be.  
...could it?


	2. Chapter 2

The picture on her twitter blew up from both of their respective camps. Already people were elbowing and exclaiming and almost demanding something else aside a picture happen from this chance meeting. Danny wanted to do much the same himself, but all he really could do was sit on the subway, sit in his car, sit at home- just sit and think. And wait. And hope to god he hadn’t scared her away with his antics. The more he thought about the whole meeting the more he realized how much of a jerk he’d been. Going after her- scaring her even! What an asshole he was. The thought that she liked his music, was using it to distract herself after her own show (not that it didn’t warm his cheeks and make him grin like an idiot the more he thought about it) really didn’t weigh into the situation. He’d stalked her down into the subway. She had probably just been trying to be nice. Right?

That was why when he woke up groggy the next morning he still hadn’t received a text. Probably wouldn’t. He’d just have to let this go. Had to. Had to move on with his life. It was a once-in-a-lifetime meeting and while he had a few of those under his belt now, that’s all it was. Those people on twitter wishing for more were no different, but he also had to be smarter than them to think anything else was coming out of it. It would take a few days for the sting to fully wear off, and a lot more time than that to stop thinking about all the ways it could have gone down differently, but he’d move on.

At least that had been his plan. He’d been half-engaged during breakfast, and mostly engaged while Brian had come over to discuss some other stuff with him- still browsing his phone as he was apt to do from time to time. Still guiltily going back to that twitter post and smiling to himself. But it was over and he accepted that. Or was trying to.

That all fell apart when a happy little notification tickled his phone.

**> Did those mean streets rough you up last night?**

After reading it exactly three times over as if there were some secret message to decode he found himself pressing his phone to his face with a stupid smile. She’d texted him. Wow. Unbelievable.

“Oh god.” Brian was shaking his head from across the room. “Here we go.”

“You can eat a hot bag of dicks, my friend.” Danny would not be deterred. His spirit would not be broken. Because she’d fucking texted back! ...now his problem was just what was he going to send back that didn’t reek of desperation?

“You know those five or so years of difference between us really shine when you do shit like this.” Sighing, but ribbing all in good fun. Watching Dan glow like this was quite an experience. And an earned one, too.

In response Danny just scoffed and typed in a few words and then promptly deleted them. “Says the man whose favorite story is one he wrote about a blowjob.”

“I’m working on the sequel.” Proudly stated.

“You are not! Fuck off!” Giggling, mostly to himself- and mostly not about The Beej. When Brian actually started going into detail- “Hey, shut up already! I can’t think!” What to say back? It had to be something not too stupid. Right? Or was too stupid what she knew of him?

“Oh no how will I ever impress this girl?” Brian’s voice quivered in mock impersonation of Danny’s pathetic antics.

Danny’s real problem was that every text he wanted to send ended with ‘what are you up to today’ and that was way too needy. Even if that’s really wanted to ask. They had two days and he could absolutely put everything else on hold if she wanted to hang out. In fact, he wanted to. He would. But how to get to that point without coming across like a huge jackass? It was impossible.

“She’s not just some girl.” Mumbled to himself really, not wanting to be picked on any longer, but unable to help himself from saying this. She wasn’t. Her musical soul was inspiring.

**> Can confirm that the streets are mean but I am meaner**

He settled on this even though he wasn’t too happy about it, and for another couple of seconds he wasn’t sure if he should say ‘Danny Sexbang’ instead of ‘I’. Tempting, very tempting. But knowing that she liked his music had another impact he hadn’t anticipated. He couldn’t use that as a way to try and pick her up. That would be over the line of irresponsibility. Even if it was a solid in. Maybe. Probably not knowing what a grounded person she was.

**> Not sure I believe that for a second...**

He giggled as the text arrived on screen, exactly the sort of sound that would have kept a person from believing he was mean. He wasn’t. At all. And to think that she thought that. It was unfortunate he wasn’t sure how to accurately explain just how much he enjoyed hugging puppies and running through a fresh spring field before she texted again. Not that that wasn’t totally fine, in his book.

**> Hey I don’t want to bug you but I actually wanted to show you something!**

This stirred quite a few things out of him and soon he was sitting forward on the couch cradling the phone in his palms, looking down. Show him something? What could it be? Yet before he could even tell her she was in no way being a bother (quite the opposite) she texted again.

**> Sorry if I’m being annoying, by the way! But skype’s okay right?**

It was a little relieving to know she might have felt the same way. That he wasn’t so alone in being a hyper-feeling spaz in the case of ‘what’s appropriate’. But even if he was, and even if she was, at least she had the balls to go for the things she wanted.

...did that include him?  
Her skype name came over in the next text.

It didn’t take him more than a minute to boot the application up on his phone and enter her in. This was a no brainer. He felt a thrum of excitement. Texting was fine, but getting to see her again and hear her voice? And what did she have for him? This was too much. More than he’d expected for sure.

Once he had her in he didn’t have to wait and wonder if he should call- she did that for him, again. It rang twice before he held the phone out at half arm’s length, almost hit the button, then decided not yet and ran his hand back through his messy hair a few times. Brian laughed to himself in a dry noise with a roll of his eyes and mentioned something about ‘having it bad’. But he did. And he wasn’t too ashamed.

Answering it her face filled the screen before she pulled the phone back to reveal she was sitting on her floor back against the bed of her apartment. She looked like she’d been awake for hours.  
-...and no less amazing than he remembered. Especially when she smiled.

“Hey!” She was waving. “Again, sorry if I’m being totally annoying.”

“Not at all.” He smiled at her image.

“He was just trying to fix his hair for you!” Brian suddenly popped up from the back of the couch in a very serious attempt to embarrass the hell out of his friend.

“Get out of here!” Danny’s hand came over Brian’s face, trying to shove him out of view. The shame of being caught was well worth the noise of her warm laughter.

“This is another moment-“ She was saying shaking her head and the two stopped struggling for dominance. “Never thought I’d see Brian this way!”

“I’ll have you know I’m the talent of this operation.” Proclaimed just as proudly as before.

Danny set the phone down on his lap so he could put his full force into shoving him away. “God man can’t I talk to my new lady friend without interruption?!” This was dramatic on purpose, like most things that came out of his mouth were. That it provoked a few more soft titters from her made it absolutely worth it. Brian just smirked before dropping back to sit down on the other side of the room. Danny gave him a warning glare and then picked the phone back up. “Sorry he gets weird when we don’t feed him.”

“I don’t work for free! Where are my tacos!!”

Danny wished he was anywhere else right then and actually thought about stepping out to the patio, but demonstrating weakness in front of Brian was asking for a much harder teasing later. “Oh- are you guys working on songs?” Asked with a tone that Danny wanted to believe was full of wonder. “I’m sorry! I should let you go!”

“Nononono-“ A little overzealous. He just really didn’t want her to leave. “It’s fine. We need a break anyway.” He sat forward, angling the phone to his best side. “Anyway you said you had something for me?” Not ready to let her go at the very least until she delivered on whatever magical thing it would no doubt end up being.

“I did, yeah.” She looked away, drumming her fingers on her thighs. “But I’m kinda feeling nervous about it?” Like it was a bad idea to have even said anything at all.

“Nervous?” Music. It had to be music! “Aw come on. You’re in good company.” Trying to coax it out of her.

“Wellll...” Holding out the last letters before reaching off camera to grab something and coming back with a guitar. It was an old looking thing, no doubt used for years, but in great shape other than its wear. A true mark of a musician. “Okay, so, I’m playing a private show at The Delancey tonight-“ She looked up from her one-handed errant strumming and mild twisting of the tuning pegs. “Which you’re totally free to come to by the way.”

His stomach did a flip. Another show? And this one at an actual venue. It was sure to be amazing. Could he? Should he? For sure- but...

“I wanted to actually ask if I could cover one of your songs.” This was out of courtesy, now that she could. There was literally nothing he could do to stop her if she really wanted to. Not that he would.

“Oh shit, really? Which one?” Heatedly invested in this moment. She was going to play for him- one of his own. This was almost too much to have even dreamed about.

“Wellll...” Doing it again before setting the phone down sideways on the floor standing up. Just far enough away to see her. She picked up the guitar again and found her frets, strumming a few times. His musical library of songs lit to life, but it didn’t take many passes to know what she was playing.

After every four strums she bopped her hand against the base of the guitar, sounding out a few echoing drum lines of her own. The tune was slowed, which was fine. She could take all the liberties she wanted...

Hey hey, give me the music. Feel the city as you walk, every step you take is closer to the- waaay you need to lose it. We’re moving through the crowd. They’re gonna hear just what we have to saaaaay.

She put him to shame. Absolute god damn shame. If they’d played anything like this at the Bitter End- sounded anywhere close as this- they’d have been signed by something. Someone worth millions of dollars. They’d have been set. It was like his brain was turning into a puddle and pooling out his ears.

Heyhey, no need to prove it. The rain is gonna fall and will wash away the thoughts of yesterdaaay, can you refuse it? We are living through it all, they’re gonna have to find another waaay!

Oh sweet jesus. She was losing herself to the music. This was a thing he was well versed in. But to watch her move to that plane of existence, the squinch of her brows, the wider mouthing around the words, the grip at the neck and the shimmy of her fingers over the strings-

Losing herself to one of his songs.

Believe me! I know that!

She hummed the backing and he wished he could have sung it for her.

Redeem me, I’m falling!

She hummed again but it was gentler, and her playing slowed and stopped as she laid her palm to rest over the strings. He watched her take a breath, head down before looking back up- or down, as was the case of the phone’s position. “Aah! That was so bad.”

How could she even believe that? “What are you talking about? That was like listening to magic!”

“Take it down a notch Narcissus.” Brian was about half right. She had been playing one of his songs, after all.

She set her guitar down and picked the phone back up. “You liked it?” The gentleness in her voice tugged at his heart. He knew the feeling well. Well enough to know that the only good response was a genuine smile as he pulled his own phone close and smiled at her.

“It was amazing.” More than amazing. But he just didn’t have the vocabulary to describe how listening to it had made him feel- ...or at least couldn’t do it with Brian sitting there, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

He watched her raise her hand to her face, hiding what was surely a big grin. “Oh stop!” This dragged a giggle out of him. She was too much. “Anyway! I’ll leave you two alone.” He didn’t want her to go. This was almost out of his mouth before she spoke again, thankfully stopping him. “Like I said there’s a show at Delancey. At eight. I’ll put your name on the list- Brian’s, too! But if you’re busy I understand it’s short notice!”

“I’ll try to make it down there. For sure.” He just hoped this wouldn’t end up an empty promise. Not because he didn’t want to go, and certainly not even because he was super busy... but because he could very well psyche himself out.

“Okay. Well! Bye!” Waving at him before the call cut out and she was gone.

The phone went flat on his lap and he threw his hands to his face, rubbing vigorously. “Is that how you were last night? I’m embarrassed for you, man.” Brian was clueing him in to just how bad he acted around her.

Or maybe he was still teasing. It was hard to tell sometimes. Danny groaned out before his hands then went to his hair for a good few rough shakes. “Oh will you shut up already.” He was starting to get bruised, which wasn’t even entirely Brian’s fault. He just wasn’t sure what to do with all of this. Whatever this was. They were friends now, right? Sort of.

More of acquaintances than anything. But she was still interested. The real question was- was the way he felt appropriate? And did he risk a lot even showing that to her?

Because he had it bad. So bad. And if Brian could tell, so could she no doubt. Was it worth risking what was sure to be a fruitful and fun friendship to even try? No, right? No had to be the right answer. He groaned again.

“Jeez you’re really torn up about this, huh?” He hadn’t been in a real relationship in a long time and he had no idea how to even make this a thing. If it was appropriate- when he knew it wasn’t! So ‘torn up’ didn’t even come close. “Look just go to her show. She obviously likes you.” Brian had cut him some slack, which Danny was more than grateful for.

“She likes the music.” This was somehow very dejected. And it had no right to be.

“Yeah but so do you, right?” He did. He loved her music. Had for years. But it was more than that. He’d let himself think there was more than that because he never actually thought he’d meet her. And that was the real problem. He was heading into this with some fantasy in the back of his brian. It was gross.

Brian reached over to give him a hard slap on the arm. “You’re acting like a sixteen year old.” Gross indeed. “Just go and- I know it’ll be hard for you- but play it cool.”

“Thanks for the fucking vote of confidence, man.” Shooting him a look.

“No problem. I look forward to hearing about how you blew it.”

Could Danny even be mad about this? Because it was more than likely that he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wait, there's more?! Come join the envelopesyou tumblr for some stuff!


	3. Chapter 3

The front of the Delancey was open, couples sitting at the tables, lounging at the bar. The stairwell, however, was roped off and there was a smiley woman with a clipboard standing around. Danny had arrived about five minutes late, not accounting just enough for city traffic. As usual. It didn’t sound like the show had started, in fact, even if the lower half of the club was in the basement, he felt like he should have heard _something_. Maybe she hadn’t started. When he walked up the girl looked him up and down.

“Name please!” She’d said it was a private show but this was a little more private than he’d thought. Although... she had also said his name was going on some list. To think she went to all that trouble...

“Uh- Dan. Avidan.” Almost like he’d forgotten his own name.

“Hmm...” She looked her clipboard up and down. “We don’t have that on here!” Chipper even as she was about to deny him entry. It was no big deal, he thought to himself, he could just text her- “But you wouldn’t happen to be Danny Sexbang, huh?”

Ugh. He grinned, mostly to himself. This was a sharp reminder that this relationship was strange. But amusing nonetheless. “Yeah. That’s me. Don’t have any ID, though.”

“S’okay.” She said, almost in a whisper as she stepped aside to unhook the rope from its resting place and allow him entry. “No Ninja guy, though?”

“Not tonight.” Waving at her just once before he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and descended the stairs. The basement was more what he’d been assuming a show to look like- a private one, at that.

Dark, blue hued, gentle. Velvet lined booths and low tables. Just a touch of smoke hanging in the air. Drinks crowding every available surface. It was a calmer crowd, that was for sure. Not like a park performance. As he got all the way in and leaned his way around other bodies, he heard her picking away at her guitar.

She was sitting on a only-slightly raised stage, glowing in the spotlight raining down. People were crowding the front. _Jeux Interdits_ \- he hadn’t realized he actually knew the name of that song until she looked up from her well timed plucking, spotting him with a smile. Must have just been useless information in the back of his brain. She let her practice come a close, final note vibrating out as she reached forward from her perched position on a stool to grab the microphone closer.

“Alright. Thanks for coming out everyone.” There were murmurs of happy agreement all around him. “I have a few cool things I’d really like to play for you. Maybe one or two things I’m still trying to figure out...” Eyes closing as she smiled to herself, dropping her head a little. “First round’s on me. Please pick up a beer. It’ll make my playing sound much better.” Everyone chuckled-

Save Danny. For once. It was strange watching this part of her persona. Not that he hadn’t guessed. They all had one. They had to. Couldn’t hold it all together just being you on stage. This part of her was a little subdued. A little sultry. Her tone had even dropped a little. Her hair was just slightly messy, intentionally so. Her makeup a little darker. Her dress was no less casual than he’d ever seen her, though. A silver tank top to off set everything else, dark blue jeans and black boots. This was interesting. She was interesting.

Private shows meant calm and casual. He’d seen concerts, though never live- still a stinging reminder, though wasn’t this as good? When she was bopping on stage she was such a different person. And in actuality... completely different. As she started her first song he had to wonder how different he was. He had liked to think not very. Landing a profitable gig making songs about boners had just been the best way to be himself. And damn lucky, too. But, in the end, he was far different from Danny Sexbang, the man she’d put on her list.

Did she know that?

_She likes the music._  
He was reminded of the thing he’d said to Brian to try and back out of whatever this was. Was this right? If he had to ask that, didn’t that mean the answer was no?

In his head that way he’d completely drifted through her first song. Only realizing it when she was looking at him again and her hands weren’t touching her guitar. “Cool. Sloppy. Have another drink guys we’re just getting started.”

Her fingers thrummed out the introductions to one of his favorites.  
She liked the music. He did, too. Very much so. Soon he couldn’t find it in himself to question the nature of this relationship when he was lulled into a soft sway. Music vibrating in his head. Her voice calling out to him. It wasn’t quite the same way he was used to. When he sat home alone. His headphones on. Music up just to the point of dangerous. Intimately close in his ears. Yet she was closer this way, and more distant at the same time.

But he loved this just as much. His mouth was moving but he was scared to put any backing in to it, not because he’d be embarrassed to sing in front of the people around, but because he wanted to only hear her. When she caught on to how entranced he was she smirked just a little and slid effortlessly into another one of her originals. A stormier version of a still mellow song. One he remembered listening to when he had been curled up and lost.

Hadn’t she said his music had helped her through a lot? Now he couldn’t remember if he’d returned the sentiment- no. Come to think of it, he hadn’t. Damn it.

And it was there that he realized why he had to ask himself whether or not this was okay. He’d implanted so many things onto her music. So many feelings. So many emotions. To have her close at hand, sort of, was playing with all of that. He’d lived parts of his life with her voice so close to him. Calming him. Letting him fall to sleep on stormy waters. Reminding him it’d be okay.

He was enamored. Totally and completely helpless. And-  
Maybe it was wrong.  
But...

God damn him if he didn’t want that siren’s song in his life. His real life. Not just through his head phones. And god damn him even more if he could lie just a little and say he didn’t want her in his bed. The sort of sounds she had to be able to make with a voice like that-

Her hand cupped over the base of her guitar, dropping the neck so she could pull the microphone close again. “You know, I invited a guy out to my show tonight...” The murmurs around were saucy. This stirred him awake out of his glazed, and partly dirty, daydreaming. “And I’m starting to wonder...” Some more subdued whooping. “We only met a day ago, you know. Is it right to ask him out for drinks?” The girls in the crowd were cheering her on while some of the guys sounded appropriately bummed.

Fuck yeah. Be bummed.  
“Anyway...” She picked out a few clear chords. A song she’d practiced in front of him.

Hey, hey. Give me the music.  
For sure.  
For sure...

He found himself like that for the rest of the show. Half there. The half that was was listening with rapt attention. The half that wasn’t was exploring all the boundaries he’d probably never be able to push past anyway. What was the harm in fantasizing?

And a very small quarter of his brain was thinking about... those exact same boundaries. Those circumstances that put them where they were. If she liked him- couldn’t he... maybe.. use that, too? But was it so wrong when he liked her back?  
Yes. The answer was probably yes- “Thank you for coming out. It means so much to me.” She was done? He dipped his hand into his pocket to turn the light on his phone on. Apparently he’d stood there staring at her like a dazed idiot for three whole hours. How? Unbelievable. Eleven o’clock. “I hope to do another quiet show again really soon. I’ll let you know.” This had probably been some sort of investor show. No doubt people had paid for the privilege to come listen to her.

But not him.  
Not him, because-

He watched her get off stage and tried to follow her as best as he could, but her move into the side was actually her going into a back door. And while he’d been sleazing it up in his head all evening, he didn’t actually dare follow her. So instead he plopped down in one of the now vacated booths and waited. She’d come out eventually, right?

“Hey-! Psst!” He looked up, assuming that was for him. And he’d been right. He saw her leaning in through the same door she’d gone out, waving her hand to get him to- “Come on!”

He stood shakily on his feet, surprised by his own quick movements and lumbered his way over to her. Following her out the back and up a very tight stairwell where she pushed another door open. Then fresh air awaited him and he took a healthy gulp of it. He was used to heavy hanging smoke but the reprieve was nice.

She seemed to be doing about the same, breathing in deep once before putting her hands on her hips and setting her shoulders back. “Oh man!” Her tone had gone back to normal, or what he assumed was normal and that was all it took to get those disgusting thoughts to shatter like glass. Instead he was warmed and found himself smiling down at her. “Sorry!”

He found his giggle again after all. “What’re you apologizing to me for?”

“I know this was probably totally weird. It’s why I sort of second guessed inviting you. It’s a lot different than the other shows.” The upbeat happy shows. This one had brought the proverbial beast out of him. For all the- ...hm. Were they right or wrong reasons? Somehow both?

“Oh don’t apologize. I totally loved it.” The problem was that no matter if she turned off that part of her persona, even when the lights went up, he still knew now. He’d still come to the conclusion.

And it was why when her eyes darted down and she smiled a little wider to herself he felt that surge. “Sooo...” She shifted around a little awkwardly. “I wasn’t kidding about that drink, you know.”

He grinned at her. “I’m game. Let’s do it.”

“The Black Crescent is right down the block. It’s this shitty little place.” Which was all they needed, really. If she hadn’t just played there they’d probably just be sitting in the Delancey’s space, but he found that he didn’t want to be interrupted.

It was exactly as she’d promised. Even lower lighting than the last place. Almost like they had just-barely working lamps, but if Danny knew anything about the city, this was on purpose. There was surprisingly less smoke, though, which was nice. Small. Cozy. ‘Shitty’ had been an affectionate term, he was sure of it now. She took him into the back of the room, which was a generous thought in and of itself with the size of the place. “Two beers.” Ordering as she walked by the bar, like she knew the guy working. Maybe she did. “They don’t close until two.”

Which gave them a lot of time to talk. He plopped down into the chair across from her. When the guy came out and set two dark looking ales in front of them, “Two waters, too, please.” He just got a grunt in response.

“Your flight home is tomorrow?” Asked as she reached to grab her beer and take a small sip.

He had to actually think about it. So much other information had taken up precedence. “Uh- yeah. But it’s not a big deal.” He was really starting to think so. If he missed it, so what? He could just get another one. Some things were worth staying in the city for...

“Is that your way of telling me it’s early in the morning?” Not to worry about staying up late? But she seemed pretty amused at this.

He shared the feeling, knocking back his first sip. Bitter beer. Very. Must have been darker than he’d thought. “That’s my way of saying it doesn’t matter.” There were much more important things to talk about, after all.

She smiled just once more before her eyes left his again. “You know...” And this was the telltale sound of the evening about to go right down the drain. But he let her go on. “I’ve been thinking about- I don’t know how to put it.” Struggling with her shoulders slightly hunched, beer cupped in her hands.

“If this is okay?” He’d been stupid thinking that had been a one-way street. And since it wasn’t, there went any allure he might have had. “Yeeaahh...” Breathing out, running his hand back through his hair. She was looking up at him again.

Her smile lightened into a sad shadow. “That means no.” And she seemed torn up about it.

“Maybe not yet.” Because they didn’t know anything about one another except what they’d spent in years listening to music. Maybe a little bit of hero worship. But she hadn’t disappointed her so far. Probably wasn’t the same from her end. “But let’s see where we are at two.” They just had to sit down and talk. Like real people.

While that seemed to make her happy, going about it was a lot harder than either of them imagined. It was strange talking to someone you felt like you’d known for years but were realizing you just hadn’t. The closeness had never been replicated. They had to walk back through stories they’d already told on shows and interviews. Tried to make things more personable. And as they pushed through the inevitable awkwardness they both realized the barrier of a screen and headphones just didn’t cut it. Didn’t even come close.

The uncomfortable stumbles were worth it. When one-forty-five in the morning rolled around they were laughing softly across from each other. A few beers in, nothing too dangerous. Talking about music and dreams and favorite things. Long term goals and the worst dates they’d ever been on. Best first kisses and most hated class in school. The slide from anxious discomfort to giggly giddiness and relatability went wholly unnoticed.

They tumbled out onto the sidewalk, the air a little brisker than either of them were expecting. “So where are we at two?” She was asking, half still in the middle of laughter that had been carried from the inside out.

“Undecided. Let’s go somewhere else and check back at four.” He couldn’t leave. Didn’t want to leave her side. Be without her. He wanted to get to know more. Not just so he could climb up and over to a place that was amicable. But because he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with himself if he couldn’t. How could he go back to _just_ listening to her music after all this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're having a party over at the envelopesyou tumblr and you are invited!


	4. Chapter 4

_ The most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.... _

A gentle and delicate tune filtered in and out of his perception. Beautiful just like the light morning sun hitting his face. He had no recollection of where he was. Or why. Or what was going on. But listening to that voice... echoing in the halls- in his head-

_ All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word.... _

He sat up slowly, feeling a long coming ache in each one of his muscles. But he couldn’t dare to groan about it, scared he might lose the sound of her voice. Ah- yes. Her. His hands came back through his incredibly messy hair as he listened to her humming continue. Wordless but no less gorgeous. His vision came back to him after he rubbed at his eyes a few times.

How late had they gotten in last night? No idea. No recollection at all. None that was important, anyway. All he could remember was stumbling through the sleepless city, talking and laughing. And singing. They’d sung just a little drunkenly together. They’d been tired out of their minds and just a bit tipsy. A dangerous combination which explained a lot of the black spots in his memory. Not black... more like.. just fuzzy.

_ I’ve just met a girl named Maria, and suddenly that name... will never be the same.. to mee.... _

His head turned in the direction of her voice as it blossomed- in the shower. She was in the shower- her shower. This was her apartment. He hadn’t gotten to appreciate it very much. The more he thought about it the more he was realizing the second he’d sat on her couch he’d just rolled right into sleep. Had she, too? Or had she been up watching after him? Hopefully not.

Her apartment was by no means plain, all though it was smaller than he would have guessed. Then again, she had never flown with her fame. She’d always been very humble. That was one of his favorite things about her- and there he was, thinking about how cool she was in such a disconnected way. If he ever wanted to really be friends with her- or.. more- no. Stop. But if he wanted to, how could he when he kept thinking about her on that platform?

She had framed and signed pieces of music absolutely everywhere. Book jackets. Works of art. No doubt from all her favorite artists. He saw some inserts from NSFW and Strawberries and Cream pinned into a few corners. His face burned just a little. Embarrassed. How could she even stand to put him with people- accomplished artists- like-

_ Mariaaaa.. say it loud and there’s music playing... say it soft.. and it’s almost like praying... _

He was distracted when her singing took flight once again. Out of hum and into a mesmerizing vibrato that rang absolutely everywhere. Touching on a scale that was beyond his range unless he really forced himself. Sometimes he did. But she waltzed along it like she had every right to be there. Like she was the master and the music her slave. Terribly talented-

And there he was. Danny. Himself. Standing in the middle of her apartment, almost crushed right outside her shower door, listening to her take a shower. Listening to her sing in the early morning.  
Creep. He was being a creep. The creep she’d thought about on the subway before they’d broken that barrier. He hung his head slightly with a breath out.

_ I’ll never stop saying- _

The water turned off before she was able to hit the penultimate note. He found himself stepping back. Leaving would be really easy. He probably should- or should he? She had his number. If she didn’t really find that to be nice, she might complain. Or worse-

Oh god. So much more worse... she’d never talk to him again. He couldn’t stand the thought of that. So instead he edged back to the couch and dropped down. Dropped his head forward, scrunched his hair in his fists a few times. How had it gotten this way? This was bad. This was really bad. Any fuck up on his part and it was over. Walking the wire was too much pressure. Too much god damn pressure. Too much was at stake. At least for him...

The door opened and she came out, towel around her fully dressed shoulders. So she’d thought ahead. Or- yeah. She was wearing the same clothes from last night. Hm. “You okay?” She was busy drying her hair, watching him carefully. Which was fair. He was sort of hunched over the couch. A prime position to hurl after a night out.

“Yeah. Mm. I’m good.” Pressing at his face with both hands just one more time before sitting all the way up. “What happened? Couldn’t hit the last note?” Smiling at her with, what he hoped was clear, a joking tone.

“I can so. Thanks.” Taking quick defense before melting into a morning-smile that made Danny feel like he was simply a puddle on the floor. God. He couldn’t do this. There was no way.

“West Side, huh?” This was too hard. He felt like he was falling flat.

“An oldie but a goodie.” Leaning back on her heels, “Uh- you can take a shower, too, if you want.” At least he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t pull off casual. This was at least a little relieving.

“It’s good. I’m okay.” When she shrugged at him- “What time is it?”

“Nine.” The towel came up through her hair for one last pass. “You said your flight was at ten thirty, right? I can get you there on time.”

Danny had absolutely no recollection of talking about flights. And he honestly wished he hadn’t. If he hadn’t said anything he could have just missed the damn thing and- ...stayed. Yeah. Wishful thinking. Too grandiose. Thank god tired-tipsy him had some good sense. “Cool. Thanks.”

Here it was. The moment.  
The moment that made or broke whatever this was.

Silence. It hung. And it was heavy. It was impossible. He knew that. He’d always known that. He’d never be anything to her- and she’d never-... she’d just never...

He spied something on the other side of the wall that dragged him out of his spot and right to it. A framed piece of music. The first overture from 2112. His heart stopped. He wished he could read music. Fuck. Why had he never taken the time to stick with it? God damn- and in crazy and neat signatures- Lee, Lifeson, and Peart. He felt like he was about to pass out.

“Fuck-!” Just about the only appropriate thing to say in this situation.

“You want it?”

At that point he was convinced some time last night he must have fallen off the subway platform and into an oncoming train. Was this real life? “Uh- fuck- I can’t-“ Yes. Yes god damn he wanted it.

She laughed. And he loved every second of it. “You can. It’s yours.” Leaning over she wedged it off its nail in the wail and held it out for him. And just when he thought he was ready to accept death, she pulled it out of his reach- “On one condition.”

“Oh. Shit.” But he found himself grinning anyway. “And that is?”

“Hmm... well I was actually going to ask you to hang out with me when I come to LA for this concert I’m doing next month- but now I just sorta wanna hear you hit the high note. Or die trying.”

He found himself standing wide. “You think I can’t? Here we fucking go!” Deep breath. Do it for Geddy!! “Maria-“ Pitching up once- “Maaariaaa-“  **Go for the gold, Sexbang! God damn it!** “ Mariaaaaa!”

It was terrible. And as soon as he was done she was clutching the frame to her chest and absolutely dying of laughter. Without looking up at him, her head still tilted down, still giggling herself to death, she held the frame out. “Y-you’ve earned it- champ!” Laughing harder than he’d ever heard anyone laugh in his life. Except for himself, maybe.

“Fuck man this feels terrible!” But he accepted his grand prize anyway. At the high price of absolutely all of his dignity. He was just a little bit thankful that the giggles infected his lungs, too. At least he could laugh at himself with her.

It took a long while for them to pull themselves together, but neither minded. Air became a treasure, and eventually lightheadedness took its toll, pulling them both back to the couch. “Oooh maan... I almost wish I’d recorded that...” Pressing at her ribs. She must have felt like she’d busted something.

“God fuck. Fuck you.” This was the most casual he’d ever been with her, and the immediate pinprickles touched his chest. Worried it wouldn’t go over well- but it had felt so easy-

“Raincheck.” She must have been realizing how easy it was, too. And then the wash of embarrassment. Her hand came up to her face and he found himself smiling dopily at her. Cute. Too cute. Her face faintly hinted at a blush before she waved her hands in front of her. “I mean it, about LA. ...if you’re not busy, anyway. I don’t mean to-“

If she was about to say ‘bother’ he couldn’t let her. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. “No- no. We’ll talk. Sort some shit out. It’ll be great.”

Wherever he’d wanted this to go, wherever it was now- it was maybe right where it should be. But maybe not where he’d hoped. Either way, when he stood at the security line with her in tow and Brian already miles ahead, he found himself feeling... what was the word.  
How did he feel?  
On the cusp of emptiness.

Strange. And stupid. He’d only known her personally for a couple of days. And all they’d done was fool around. Had any of this really been significant? It must have. For him to feel this way... did she feel the same?

“Soooo this is me..” He was trying not to be awkward but failing so hard. His hands went into his pockets. Watched her shy away.  
Fuck. This was it.

“Yeah.” She heaved a big breath in. If he’d just had a little more time- they were almost there. But it was over now. “Uh- is it weird- if I ask for a hug?”

“Fuck no.” His tone softened and he held his arms out. “Bring it in.”

She didn’t wait very long and he was grateful. Her head laid on his chest, her arms around his back, palms pressing against him. His arms wound around her and he curved just a little to get her fully against him. Held her close. Tight. Closed his eyes for a moment. Soaked her in.

-and was terribly depressed when it was over. When she stepped back and he had to let go. “I want another one of those,” He found himself saying, “when I pick you up at L.A.X.”

Her smile was worth his boldness. “I’ll text you.”

He pointed at her with a semi-serious expression. As if to say ‘you better’, but scared to actually imply it too hard. Then he broke into a grin and waved. He was too scared to watch her return it. If he stayed any longer he wouldn’t board. He’d stay with her. And that was stupid. What did he really know about her?

Just that she was amazing. That he wished they’d had more time. That no one else compared- no one else would, now. That she was as awesome as he’d thought she would be. And that-

...that he couldn’t wait to get her texts. That he couldn’t wait to see her again. A month was too long. He was absolutely sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the fuck happened at the envelopesyou tumblr???! I don't know! You tell me!


	5. Chapter 5

There wasn’t a single day that went by when they weren’t texting or skyping one another. Danny was glad that they hadn’t slipped into awkward acquaintance hell because he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to live with himself if he’d let her get away. But she seemed to be just as interested as he did- though... what kind of interest still escaped him. It felt like it would be an entirely douche move to ask her flat out. Maybe even stupidly juvenile. Do you like me? I like you. Sometimes girls were hard to read. Or, more likely he knew, he was just an idiot.

A nervous idiot. He didn’t want to ruin things. If for the rest of his life he could only be friends with her, that would be fine. But not what he wanted. The thought of losing the former over going after the latter, though, was not one he could get over. That was why he didn’t push anything. Didn’t ask anything deeper than the level he thought they were on. If it was going to happen, it would. She was a smart girl and she never sat quietly. Not in her entire life. If he was what she wanted.... eventually she’d say, right? He hoped so.

Her flight was getting in that day and he’d put everything else aside to make sure he was there to meet her. Drop her off where she needed to be- he wanted that hug, damn it. They’d made a promise. And while she’d texted him when she was taking off and promised to text him as soon as she landed, he couldn’t help this sense of unease. Weird tenseness. It was so easy over the phone. But hadn’t they already crossed the barrier? Time apart made things strange. He was vibrating with excitement just at the prospect of getting to see her again. Worse yet, the others were picking on him. While Brian had been suitably impressed that he hadn’t ‘blown it’ (or been late for the flight), the fact that he hadn’t actually done anything with ‘it’ was terribly embarrassing.

Danny could try and explain it away as trying to take his time but... they knew he was just being his usual self. Too shy. Too nervous. And ... trying to silently chase after a girl he felt was way out of his league.

_”Your girlfriend is getting in in twenty minutes.” Ross called from his desk._

_“She’s not my girlfriend.” Nerves worn tight at the mere thought. Danny grabbed his keys from the table._

_“Yeah. We know.”_

The snickering was still ringing in his head as he stood by the gate of the downstairs terminal. He was sure he had the right port but who even really knew these days. Flights changed over all the time. And hers seemed like it might have been delayed. But again, who knew, The screens upstairs hadn’t been too helpful, and the people working even less so. He’d just have to wait. Not his strong suit. Checking his phone every other second. Trying not to sway around too much.

Play it cool. Play it cool... impossible. Absolutely impossible. Especially when people actually started filing out one by one. All tired looking and ready to get to their next destination. He’d have assumed she had been in business class, but he would have been wrong- and was. Because many, many people came out ahead of her. So many that he started thinking she’d either missed her flight or- shit. Did he have the wrong-

“Danny!” He heard her voice before he saw her, which was strange because she couldn’t have just assumed he’d be there. Right? But her hand was waving enthusiastically over the heads of people taller than her walking out. When that crowd parted and he tried to take a breath to ease his nerves he finally got a good look at her.

Tired but no less bright than he remembered in person. Smiling enthusiastically. Especially when she came forward and without a thought put her arms out and the only thing his brain managed to tell him to do was the same exact thing.

And then there she was. Right where she belonged. Her head to his chest, her arms around his waist, and his around her back. God it felt good to have her so close. All that nervousness was for nothing. This was truly the easiest thing in the world. Then not as easy as he felt her try to step back and he had to almost literally force his arms down. It left him standing there smiling at her. A little dopily so. But she didn’t seem to mind. “I gotta get my bag.” Motioning for him to follow.

Which he did, although the jaunt forward when his legs finally listened was a little hard. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets as they walked. “Did you have a good flight?” The worst of the worst of small talk. Internally he was screaming at himself. What else could he do, though?

“As good as flying goes.” He’d learned she wasn’t really a fan of it, but who was? Nothing else you could do when you had to get from one end of the country to the other. In his opinion she should have just thought about moving to California...

“You look tired.” Offered in the nicest way possible as they rounded the corner into the baggage claim. The carousel was already running.

“Yeah.” Nodding to herself as she ran a hand through her hair- something he immediately mirrored without realizing it. “I need a ton of coffee if I’m going to get through the lounge show tonight.” This came out of her so casually that it almost gave him whiplash- mostly because he had no idea she was playing a show that night.

She was in the state to play a big, completely sold out, stadium show. But she was playing somewhere smaller? Why hadn’t she told him? “Where at?” Trying not to take offense. It wasn’t like she owed him any information- just... why hadn’t that come up at all? Maybe he had just fooled himself into thinking they were ‘friends’. Because that’s what he wanted. But maybe it wasn’t... what she wanted..

“Uh-!” Leaning up on her tiptoes to try and see the bags running by over the crowd. “The hotel, actually-“

“Which one is yours?” Asked with a gentle smile. He could easily see over the heads.

“Should be a blue one with a big white music note on the front.” He nodded and kept his head held high so he could watch for it. “Yeah- anyway. At the hotel. They have this nice grand out in the lobby so when I was making arrangements I asked if it was okay if I could play tonight.”

He shifted forward to part the crowd when he saw her luggage, “Excuse me,” Quietly to the couple crowding the front as he slid forward. “That’s cool. Does everyone else know?”

“Yeah- I put it up on twitter before leaving. You didn’t see?” She caught wind of his slight upset. Which was mortifying, really.

“Oh-“ Grabbing the handle and pulling it from the queue- “I don’t use twitter that much.” Or at all, if he could help it. Brian ran NSP’s stuff. But that explained...

When she was able to set her bag on the ground they started walking for the exit. “I was really hoping you would come by. You can bring your friends, too, if you want.” She seemed excited at the prospect of perhaps getting to meet them?

Danny wasn’t so sure about that. Could he bring them to a show of hers? They’d probably just end up embarrassing the shit out of him. Ugh. The mere thought gave him a slight flare of agita. The murky heat of California greeted them in a burst as the doors of the airport opened and they walked out towards the parking lot. “You sure? They don’t really know how to uh... do the quiet thing.” Sure, they were all adults. Sure they could be respectful when the mood called for it. But... oh boy.

“It’s up to you.” Her eyes left his and he felt- guilty. It was definite guilt. But why? Had he crushed her idea? Why would she want to meet his friends, though? Hm. Well. If she was a fan of NSP, it might have stood that she liked Game Grumps as well. They tried not to talk too much about their work, both too scared to pretend that was a bridge they weren’t crossing. That weird one. That not-okay one.

Or maybe. Just maybe. If he was fool enough to think so, she wanted to get to meet the people important to him. Because that’s what... that’s what girlfriends did, right? Not that she was his. But it would be a good step. “I’ll see if I can rope them in.” He stuck his keys in the trunk of his car so she could toss her suitcase inside and then opened her door for her after. “They’re sort of rowdy, though.” If it was a quiet show it wasn’t the best idea still.

Her response had to wait for him to round the other side of the car. Once he was in, “It’s gonna be a request show. Try to tell them not to ask for anything out of my range.” As if the matter was already settled. ...at least she seemed happy. It made him feel good.

He found himself laughing. “It’s weird to have to be the mom of the group. That’s usually Suz’s job...” Thinking about it gave him an ache. God. This was too much for him to handle. But for her? He’d try.

She patted her palms against her legs. “I kinda wanted to go out for dinner after. You know any good places?” This wasn’t as cleverly veiled as she might have thought it was- or maybe she wasn’t trying to be clever. Just upfront. Of course he knew some places. He lived there, after all.

“A few. What’s on your menu?” Had they ever talked about foods they liked? Their catalogue of conversations was a little muddy sometimes. Talking for hours at night would do that to a person.

“Mm...” She sounded nervous. Why? Had the time really changed that much? Then again, two days in the city hadn’t really gotten them that far. Hopefully her time here would change that. “Anything is fine. You can ask them if they want to come, too. I have this fancy Amex card.”

“No shit.” Indicating a left before hanging it without much delay in between the two actions. “Is it one of those heavy ones?” Palladium or gold, they were made out of- at least so he’d heard. The Grumps had a green business one for food and other office shit.

Her laugh was refreshing. “Just a normal plastic one. But I was encouraged to put a lot of stuff on it. So.” A wild night out at some restaurant with seven or so people would fill it up pretty well. At least that was what she seemed to be expecting.

“Look at you Hollywood starlet.” Wiggling his eyebrows at her just once before his eyes returned fully to the road. “Gonna go on a shopping spree?”

“If you know any good places...” Her tone was clearly joking.

But he decided against picking up on that. “Oh. All the good ones. As long as you buy me some shit we’re good.” He tried to pick a parking spot close to the front door now that they’d pulled in.

It was a nice place. Big. Ridiculously big. She no doubt had some sort of suite at the top-... though, she hadn’t flown in first class, so who knew. That was why he liked her. Too down to earth for the fame that she had. Then again, he liked to think he was like that, too. But who really knew. He took her luggage for her as they walked into the next lobby of cool air. Oh yes. Very nice place.

And once she saw the big, sleek piano sitting just off center she ran right to it, leaving him standing in her wake. Smiling. As usual. Her hands were flirting with the keys, the first thing he cared to watch as he walked over. “You know, it’s a shame you don’t play.” Said to him as she sat herself down on the bench. The people at the front were staring, but he pretended not to notice.

Instead he sat down next to her. “Oh yeah? I tried when I was a kid but I just don’t have the patience for it.” Didn’t then probably didn’t now. Bass was good enough.

She put her hand down across the whites, spreading her fingers out. “Do this-“ Barely asking and more telling. But this was one part of the larger whole of her that he adored. Her musical sensibilities. Whatever she wanted to impart to him he’d willingly take. So he followed her lead. Spreading his thumb and pinky out. “Your hands are so good for piano. You have a massive span.”

Her hand came to rest down atop his lightly, comparing. “My hands-“ He almost had to literally bite down on his tongue to get his mouth to stop moving. He heard the audible screech of tires in his brain. Don’t fucking do that. Not now!

But she was laughing. “Oh? Don’t start what you can’t finish. What were you going to say?” Leaning to the side so she could look up at him. Already knowing. Because she knew him.  
They were headed into that weird place again.

“Psh-“ Well. If she was going to call him out. “I was gonna say my hands are good for other things, too.” Sexbang, god damn it. Cool it. But it was automatic. Thirty years of sex jokes sat in his brain. It was just part of him now.

Her head bopped from side to side as she took her hand off his and pressed down on a few keys in a melodic chord. “Yeah yeah and you have a massive something else, right? That’s what you meant to say?” Despite her seeming ease with the situation, he spied a very real pink lighting up her cheeks.

“You know it.” Trying not to be too saucy and failing. She put a stop to him, though, when she leaned her shoulder against his and ghosted her hand down atop his again. Pressing his fingers down and moving his hand across a few keys.

The start of- pressing his finger down on one of the slim black keys a few times. Then trying to get him to move into a set of ten but he fumbled too quick and she recovered for him. The melody was still fresh in his mind. Probably would be forever, like most of his own songs. 6969’s intro sounded weird on such a classical instrument.

“Ooo, Brian’s gonna be maaaad.” Giggling to himself.

She stopped immediately and he wished he hadn’t said that. “I’m sorry!”

His lips thinned into a bigger smile and he rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. “Don’t be I’m just kidding.” He sat back on the bench. “You’d probably sing it better than either of us could manage, anyway.” Did he want to hear that?  
Her voice singing his more ridiculous lyrics? She’d blown him away with the Skyhill performance. But maybe it was best not to test fate.

“I doubt it.” Tapping her hands again on her legs. Nervous habit? Then she touched her forehead lightly. “I think I need to lie down for a few hours.”

This was normal, especially after a long flight. He often felt like sleeping off the difference, too, whenever he made the journey. Yet despite it being totally normal he felt... like he’d upset her. That and he was worried. “Are you okay?” Tilting his head down a little to try and get a better look at him.

She avoided looking back. “Yeah. I just need a refresher.” With that she stood and took hold of her luggage. He pushed away from the bench. “The show’s at seven. I don’t know how many people will come.” Knowing her fanbase, more than she was giving herself credit for. Especially since this was one of their only chances to see her in this part of the world- and before a big show they might not have tickets to.

Why didn’t she think she was as amazing as Danny knew she was?  
“I’ll be here.” Then, thinking about it- “With the idiots in tow.” Since she seemed to want that, for whatever reason. When she smiled again finally he knew he’d made the right choice. Especially the affectionate name-calling.

He didn’t know what he’d been expecting. Maybe another hug- and maybe not expecting it so much as yearning for it. When she waved at him once before thanking him softly and then leaving he felt cold and unfulfilled. All he could do was wave back and try not to stare too long before forcing himself to leave and get back to his car. Where he sat for a long few minutes.

The questions came back. Was this right? Was this okay? Was he doing the right thing? When would he be able to make it clear that...  
A sigh escaped him.  
Tonight was going to be a rough ride. He knew that for sure. But hopefully it would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beep boop!


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to go, because they did, it was just that they were all being terrible. The worst of their terribleness came in the form of him actually being an entire half an hour late before he could even herd them into cars and get them on the road. Would it even make a difference to text her? Apologize? Probably not. He’d get to in person. There was no telling how long the show was even going on for, and he probably should have asked.

“You need to relax man.” Danny wasn’t sure who had said this, too focused on trying to drive within the speed limit but also get there faster, somehow. He just shook his head and didn’t respond.

How was he supposed to play it cool with everyone around? How to not blow it when he’d already blew it big time? Once in the parking lot, and once everyone was out of their cars, he turned to them and put his hands up. “Please don’t do anything to ruin her show.” He also thought of asking them not to embarrass him but that was a given. No point there. The least he could do was make sure she at least still had a good time.

There were murmurs of agreement and nods and he really hoped they were taking it to heart because the last thing he needed was for them to really sink her show. She’d probably never talk to him again after that. And she’d have every right.

The cool air of the lobby met them all at the same time, and there wasn’t much further to walk after that. The crowd was cordoned off to the side but everyone was standing around her and the big slick piano in a giant mass of bodies. More people than she’d been expecting, no doubt, but just as much as Danny had known would be there. They stuck to the back by the wall, not having much else of a choice. They could push through but that would probably make a scene. Everyone wanted to be there just as much as he did.

She was in the middle of some bubbly pop song that he didn’t recognize, but Arin’s shoulders were moving as soon as he must have realized what it was. Not his taste, but it sounded good coming from her. Most things had a tendency to. When her fingers flicked the final keys applause lit up around the room and the Grump-Squad was no different. “Okay- I have time for a few more!” Only a few. God he’d gotten there so late. Unbelievable. She’d probably hate him forever. “What’s next?”

Shouts came from all around the room, people struggling to be heard. He didn’t have anything in mind that wouldn’t sound better in a private session- something he still had no right to, but maybe one day... “MARIO!” Arin had cupped his hands around his mouth to project this atop everyone else and the second Danny realized he jerked to his side with a glare. Arin’s shoulders just came up in a shrug.

“Mario- did I hear Mario?” The crowd hushed themselves as she started talking. “I think we’re probably not taking about Mario Lopez. Or just Mario. More like Mario-Mario, am I right?” Giggling to herself. This was a different persona, too. Closer to her real one than the sultry dark stage one. Cute. Always cute.

Barry bumped his arm. “She’s pretty adorable.”

“No kidding.” Danny ran a hand back through his hair, saying this a little helplessly. They all knew by now, no point in denying it.

“Mario doesn’t have any words but.. I think maybe I can manage a little something.” She scaled up the piano before actually settling in to playing those first seven famous notes. “ _Bah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-daaah_...” Singing to herself. The crowd made some sort of excited murmur. Then the flourish came and she was playing the main theme with style. Some people sung along as she worked the keys expertly.

“Oh- dude-“ Arin was nudging him. Video game songs. Who knew? In that moment Danny did know, though, that she must have watched Game Grumps. It had been less of a question and more of a thing he didn’t really care about one way or another. What was one more thing? It was still weird with or without that.

When she finished on the theme she worked the bottom half of the keys in the jaunty fashion that was the underground theme. Once then again. And then she spanned back up in a few harmonic chords before settling in to the underwater theme. This one was relaxed and just a little bit jazzy. Soon he found himself swaying along, much like everyone else. When it came to an end she jaggedly worked over the keys to finish the makeshift melody with the triumphant stage end music.

The last four she hit really hard and the crowd went wild again. Applause rang out and people were shouting hundreds more game songs for her to do. Arin might have actually ruined her show by asking for that one thing- well. Whatever show was left to ruin. “Okay okay!” She was standing, waving her hands. “One more I think!” The shouts became screaming. Everyone struggled to get their voice heard.

And then suddenly it turned. “Luigi!” Ross offered this up with one of those snarky laughs of his and the crowd around them picked it up like it was money. Chants of ‘Luigi’ were soon followed up by a few people saying ‘Ballad’. He shrunk back against the wall. Put a hand to his face. Mortified. He was absolutely mortified.

Her hands came up and most people with good decency hushed. “Uh- okay wait-!” Then she took to standing on the piano bench. “I just need to make sure... we don’t have any young faces...”

No. Good god no. Please no.  
Please don’t.

Her hand went over her eyes to protect herself from the light and she really was scanning to check on her audiences’ age. For a reason. And there was only one reason that could be. When she was satisfied enough she sat back down and Arin was practically vibrating with excitement. He was also muttering a mile a minute. Something about ‘oh shit’ and ‘is she gunna’ and a million other things.

“Okay. So I haven’t had much time with this one- and it is a little explicit. Uh. Feel free to sing along if you know the words so I don’t feel as dumb. Ready...”

No. God no. No no no no. Please don’t-

She worked the first few chords and he knew it. Recognized it immediately. There was no getting away now. Could he deal with this? Could she? What-

It was slower than usual, maybe she was telling the truth about not really working on this one a lot. Which was good. None of their songs needed to be played by her. None were good enough, in fact. Especially not-

“ _Princess Peach won’t you listen to my speech_ -“  
God. Damn. It. Arin continued shimmying. Her bottom hand played what should have been his harmonies, while the top hit the glockenspiel notes. “ _I don’t have any stars of invincibility_ -“ Danny’s shoulders dropped as he listened to her sing what used to be his part a thousand times better. Her voice was like honey. Oh-so-sweet. “ _But you’re the brightest star in the sky tonight for me. I’m your Luiigiii._ ” Her head held down at the keys. This was where the shift was and maybe it would be a little fun to hear her try and rap it out-

But he noticed too late that Arin had shifted away. Out of arm’s reach. His throat went tight as he leaned forward to try and grab him- “Don’t you fuckin’-!!!”

But it was too late.

“ **WHAT UP BITCH?!** ”  
The crowd turned in Arin’s direction as he broke free and ran around the side, waving his hands in her direction. Ooo’s and aaa’s and terribly excited squealing erupted. She continued playing like a pro. Camera phones stayed on him as he ran to her piano and started circling around it, pointing at her and his dick, carrying on for his parts. Laughter from the audience was not too far behind.

But Danny then realized he had a very real decision to make. To let this crap go on? Let Arin continue ruining her show by himself? Or take some responsibility. Maybe try to help her out? “ **My mushroom’s now mega if you know what I mean. SO SUCK IT!** ”

His own persona took hold of him when he had come to the decision that there was no way out of this. And that he couldn’t let her take Arin by herself. He had to be at least a little helpful in that regard. So he, too, slid out, while the rest of the Grumps looked on. “Mario you always do this shit! I like a girl and you ruin it! By yelling stuff about your dick until we go away!” His shoulders bopped from side to side as he made his way around and then through the crowd as they parted for him.

He kept himself and her piano playing up by actually singing one of his own backing tracks- thankful that she didn’t seem too mad when he got close up. Then again, she was in the middle of a show. “ _Hey Luigi, it’s okay that Mario’s a bit risque, just tell me what you need to say! Please don’t be afraid!_ ” He half leaned in over her bench as she sang to him and fought so hard to keep it together.

The music got softer again as she played him back in. Too pro for him. Absolutely far beyond his scope. “Oh princess... it means so much for me to hear you say that. The only thing that I’ve ever wanted to tell you is that-“ Right on cue as if they had rehearsed this a million times before Arin busted them up right on time for him to yell, “God damn IT!”

“ **I’m here to pleasure that ass!** ” The crowd was eating it up. They were going wild. Cheering it all on. Filming it. Some were singing and rapping along. Danny gave in at this point, nothing else he could do, following Arin around the piano, pushing and pulling his hands forward in a little dance. “ **You’ll have a lot of time to think when you are SMOKIN’ ON MY WARP PIPE!** ”

“ _Oh-em-gee I can’t decide! On which of you should be the guy! To take me on a mustache ride that’ll redefine my life_!”

Danny leaned back in over the side of the piano, watching her eyes as he sang with her in harmony, “ _I’m ready to give love a shot! It’s not about how many coins you’ve got! I just know I like you a lot!_ ”

From somewhere way in the back somehow Arin busted out, “Hey sluts check out my yacht!”

To which Danny put his hand to his forehead, letting out a, “Eugh...” Then he perked back up to go on. “Let me take you on a magic kart ride!”

When Arin appeared next it was right on the opposite side of her piano, as if they were assaulting her with all these choices. It worked. It worked really well. Every note and lyric felt like absolute magic. Especially with her at the helm. They were all dancing in their own ways as her hands continued to scatter over the keys to keep them all in line.

“So-!” The song came to a close and she put her hands in her lap, standing up, over the bench, getting in between them as Arin prepped the ending. “Who’s it gonna be, princess?”

“I choose...” She said, smiling too hard. Danny saw the cracks. None of them had been ready. “TOAD!” They both cried back at her in displeasure and he was actually thankful that the crowd interrupted the moment so she wouldn’t have to say the rest of it. The people closest to the front were jumping up and down, waving their hands, screaming at the three of them. She took a small bow before gesturing for them to do the same- or at least something. Arin took a huge full bow while all Danny did was raise his hand up in a small wave. “Thanks for coming out! They're part of the magnificent Starbomb, Danny and Arin, and this was completely unplanned! Give them another round of applause!” The crowd did as she asked, the volume increasing. “I hope to see you at the show next week and goodnight!”

A few tall, wide-shouldered men came in front of them and for a moment he forgot where he was. Only when her hand came into his and pulled him a little hard did he shake his head and come to. She led the both of them back into what was likely a staff only exit. The doors closed behind them, leaving them standing in a wide hallway with other hotel workers walking around.

He watched her lean over, hands to her knees, taking a few small couple of breaths. Arin had his phone out already- probably texting the others. “Hey, I’m sorry we kind of interrupted your show.” Offered once he could get a hold of his thoughts. There was still this strange fog.

She was shaking her head. “No, no! It was really fun! Not what I was expecting, but fun!” When she came back up her hands came with her. “Though... I hope people don’t think I’m trying to replace Brian...” And she sounded very sad at the prospect.

“Not even Brian thinks that.” Arin was pointing to his phone. “This shit is gonna be everywhere.”

That he was right about. Instagrams, twitters, youtubes- this was not how this night was supposed to go. People talking about a live impromptu Starbomb concert. “I’m really glad you guys came.” Said more to Danny- at least he thought so as he caught her eyes and they shared a smile. “Did you decide on where to go to eat?”

“Uh- yeah. Actually. I have a really good place in mind.” He brought his hand back and shook it through his hair, a little crazed from all the dancing around.

“I’ll tell them to wait for us in the parking lot.” Arin’s thumbs were already moving over his screen.

While they waited for some of it to die down, Danny leaned against the wall and she came closer. “I didn’t think my first time singing with you would be... well. Anything like that.” Gesturing his hands a little before folding his arms under his chest.

“Have you thought about that a lot?” She was grinning a little wryly at him, obviously not having taken any offense to it. If anything she looked just a bit impish.

Even so, he felt caught. “Uh- well. Yeah. I mean...” Shit. Blew it.

Her giggles helped him feel better. “Me too. But it was fun.” This made him feel a thousand times better. She had thought about singing with him? More than just the flaccid plans they’d made at her doorstep in New York City. More than that... he knew because he’d had a few daydreams about singing with her. On a stage. In an apartment-

Weird.  
Getting weird.

He just nodded. “Yeah. Can’t wait to do it again.” Returning her grin just a little.

“Alright!” Clapping her hands together. “Let’s go get some food.” Back out into the disgusting heat of the night and untouched by any fans lingering around. Not that Danny was really paying attention to who was standing near or where they were even going.

He was more fixed to the feeling of her hand brushing against his as they walked close. Every time it happened. And then entirely more concerned with getting through the rest of the night somehow.

Far more concerned, in fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the silly tumblr for more stuff and things!


	7. Chapter 7

Despite his nervousness, dinner seemed to be going exceptionally well. The sushi place he’d picked was purposefully far enough away from the hotel so that no one would trickle in after the show and bother them- or. Well. Her, he supposed. And it wasn’t that packed either, which was good. They were at a large table in the back, sushi already come and gone long ago on big trays, shared between each occupant. She fit well with them, something that really relieved him. Not that he’d been worried that she wouldn’t jive- more worried that they’d do something to put her off. But. Then again, he reminded himself as she joked about some video game he’d never heard of with Arin... she was a fan of the show.

Would the weird place ever leave?

As they were busy spooning up ice cream tempura before it could all melt, the topic of discussion turned. “So you’ll be pretty busy all week, huh?” Kevin was the one asking her as she caught a piece of that fried dough before it hit the table after sliding off her spoon.

“Yeah- well. I’ll have rehearsals in the morning. I don’t really like them, I’d rather the show be more authentic. But. Technical stuff is important to get right the first time otherwise who knows what’ll happen.” She was waving one hand around in a very nonchalant manner.

Arin finished up a bite of his dessert. “Are you gonna have anyone else on stage with you? Like opening acts or anything?” The question was entirely, completely innocent. But after what had just happened tonight, Danny felt a tight twist in his stomach. He knew Arin would never push someone into having them around- none of them would. That’s not why he asked. Danny knew this. He absolutely knew- and yet... did she? He didn’t want her to feel like she was being put on the spot.

“I should know that but I don’t!” Instead she took it all in stride at the intended level. Just conversational. Like she was a normal person and not a total star. Genuine as ever. “It’s a little late to be planning a lot of guest spots but I mean as long as my manager says it’s okay I really wouldn’t mind.” He found himself smiling at her. Although, since they met, when was he not?

“Welmn-“ Arin continued with a mouthful. “I’m actually out of town that night. But-“

Danny put a hand up. “Dude- this is work talk for her.” Grinning slightly to try and ease the tension apparently only he felt. “You wanna do a Grump meeting in the middle of dinner?” Still. He’d wanted this to be... not here.

Arin grinned. “Alright alright. I get it.” His eyes said more than his smile. Oh he ‘got it’ alright.

The check came soon after in the middle of a rowdy bunch of laughter over something extremely stupid. She dropped her big fancy credit card on the waitress and settled up the bill. “We’ll get you back. Take you out!” Suzy promised.

But she just waved her hands. “Oh no! I wanted to. I told him,” Nudging Danny’s shoulders with hers, something that swayed him a little harder than it should have since he hadn’t been expecting it. “I wanted to go out. Do it big. The card isn’t gonna use itself!” And while she had it, why not, right? That at least seemed to be her plan.

“So after rehearsals every day do you have any plans?” Brian was standing up and fixing his chair back in its place while everyone else got their stuff ready to go, too.

“No. Not really. I mean I’ll probably be zonked after. Grab some coffee and maybe see some of California?” He and her had not made concrete plans.

He wanted to fix that. “Most of my schedule is morning shit too. So if you need a tour guide I’m up for it.” Smiling at her. The rest of the group stopped to stare at the two of them. He tried not to pay attention.

“I’d really like that.”  
The butterflies were back.

Driving back to the hotel didn’t take long, even after they’d spent five extra minutes in the restaurant parking lot bidding goodbye to everyone else. She seemed happy, which was good. It had been a nice way to end the night. But when he pulled into the closest spot up front so she wouldn’t have to walk too far- he realized what he’d actually done. Which was- exactly that. Picked a parking spot instead of driving her right up to the front entrance.

“Hey,” But she seemed to take that as a hint- the accidental subconscious one that it was. “You wanna come up and see my ridiculous room?” Smiling at him brightly. This was not a seedy invitation and he knew it. And he was actually glad for it.

“How ridiculous is it?” Asked as he twisted the keys out of the ignition, smiling back at her.

“Oh my _god_. So super ridiculous. I keep telling them to just put me in single bedrooms. Sometimes they will but I guess because this was a big show,” Pausing her sentence so she could step out of the car and wait for him. When he ambled up to her side she continued, “they must have thought I changed my mind.” Clearly this was not the case.

When they got into the elevator and she pressed the top floor button, he leaned back against the wall. Long wait. “You really uh...” How did he want to phrase this? “I mean it’s not like I couldn’t tell- not like I didn’t know already-“ They weren’t restarting, they’d talked for a while now. But this was different. Different than her lounge shows and the NYC thing and even the show in the lobby earlier. This was real. The real part of her life- and it was huge. “I dunno what I’m trying to say.” Admitted almost bashfully as he ran a hand back through his hair with a nervous smile. “You’re so down to earth it’s almost a little crazy.” Musicians tended to go in either direction to the extreme. Almost all the time.

Either they wanted to be perceived as and were totally normal people who were in awe of their own success (Danny’s favorite kind, honestly, and the ones he related to the most), or they were huge douches bent on making everyone around them kiss their feet. Talented or not.

“Crazy?” The way she asked seemed amused as she smiled up at him.

“Yeah- I dunno. Like- I guess it was- no I don’t really know.” Getting caught up in himself as the anxiety reappeared.

“It’s okay.” Her tone was soft and sweet. Just like her eyes. “I don’t really know either.” Her giggle was almost too much for him to handle. The elevator doors opened and he followed out after her. “I just wanna play music. That’s all. All this stuff and the people and the money- it’s nice. I mean, don’t get me wrong. But...”

She just wanted to do what she loved. And after working at it for so long, the heartbreak and the failure and the rejection- and then finally making it- she just wanted to put out what was in her heart. He understood that. More than maybe anyone else.

Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

“Yeah.” His own tone dropping a note lower, dipped in warmth as they stopped at her door. She looked up at him again and in his mind’s eye he saw himself taking the sides of her face gently in his hands. Saw her leaning up on tiptoe as he bent in just a little. Kissing her. Sweetly, just like she deserved. Just like he wanted.

But he hesitated a moment too long and she turned away, swiping her room key into the reader and then opening the door.

Damn it all.

He followed in after her, closing the door behind him. She turned on the lights in the main room- main because- well... it was huge. The whole place was huge. His earlier thinking that morning in the parking lot was right. Huge suite. Bigger than almost anything he ever could have imagined. It even had a piano in it, which was probably more for her practicing purposes than anything else. Though he imagined she probably had definitely not asked for one. Knowing her.

She threw her stuff onto a table just by the door, upon which there was a bucket of champagne in what had to be completely melted water. Probably from hours ago. Had they intended for her to drink as soon as she got in? “Make yourself- well. I can’t say at home because look at this place. But as close as.” Something in her tone had switched again. Tired. That weird place that he’d found her in in the lobby. When she’d retreated and left him. Not hanging because he wasn’t owed anything but. Something. Left him... something.

It raised all the alarm bells in his head and made him feel like he didn’t belong. Or- heightened that feeling. Made him want to excuse himself. Go home. Back off. “You okay?” The same tone and words he’d used in the lobby hours ago, but this time instead of letting her go, he found himself following her over towards the large windows, city twinkling beneath them.

“Yeah.” This had come on so suddenly. Hadn’t they been smiling at each other literally twenty seconds ago? It was something he’d said. Had to be. She must have been thinking about something he’d done. What was it? What had he- “Look-“ There it was. His heart sank right into his stomach and the back of his jaw clenched. He stuck his hands in his pockets, leaning his shoulder against the window, looking down at her. She wasn’t looking back. “I don’t know why we-“ Hands tumbling over each other as she gestured, “-reset. It feels like we kinda. Went backwards.”

They’d been talking through text since he’d gone back to LA- for a month. And it had seemed okay. But maybe she was right. Maybe the second they’d met again in person it was just like the first time. And that was... it was entirely his fault. He knew it now. “I’m sorry.” What else could he say? How else could he feel other than utterly, deeply sorry? Her mouth opened and he knew she was about to excuse him. So he cut her off, letting unfiltered thoughts spill out. “I dunno either. I guess- it’s just being in the face of this,” Waving his hand around the room, “and the show in the lobby- and fucking- I’m so sorry about what Arin said-“

“Hey hey!” She was smiling again but it was so very dampened from its usual glow. “It’s okay.” Trying to reassure him.

“But it’s not okay.” The only thing that made sense to him. The heaviness he felt was **not** okay. It just wasn’t.

Her eyes went to anywhere they would go except his face. She was slipping away from him. Again. Not that she had ever been anywhere as close as he’d fantasized but it hurt all the same. “We made it work in the city, somehow-“ They’d had a really long talk. A nice talk. Sincere. About their lives. Who they were as people, not as- well, he wasn’t a celebrity, but her... “Do you wanna open some champagne and just chill out?”

He followed her thought process almost immediately.  
They’d made it work in the city because the barrier had been gone. Stripped away by alcohol.

And that killed him. He found himself frowning at her, eyebrows knit. “I don’t want every genuine moment I have with you to be because of alcohol.”

He couldn’t live with himself- didn’t want it, if it was like that. He wanted to be who he was, wanted her to be who she was, without the help of an intoxicating aid. He wanted her- so bad. So very bad at this point, because he _did_ have it bad. But at the cost of putting a veneer of liquor over everything? Every time? No way. Absolutely no way. He couldn’t do that to himself, and he sure as hell couldn’t do it to her.

Because what would that lead to?  
Something short. And regrettable. And... and..

He knew now he didn’t want something short. He wanted something _real_. But if he couldn’t make it work, he needed to realize that now and move on with his life.

“No.. no you’re right. I’m sorry- that wasn’t cool of me.” Her head was turned away and he felt more heartbreak than he thought he’d be able to handle. This wasn’t working. It was never going to work. He’d been an idiot to think... to think he had any chance..

He forced a smile forward. “You’re fine. Don’t worry so much.” They’d just be friends. He’d have to let it go.

“Look...” She was going to do it. She was going to be the one to lay it down soft. Let him know that whatever this was it wasn’t what he wanted. That it was over. That they could be friends. Even though he’d just stumbled towards that conclusion himself, he’d probably still have hung around in hell for months at a time just for another shot. Because he was weak. But not her. She was going to be the strong one- “The reason I’m upset about it is because I really like you.”

Or not.  
Oh-  
Fucking _fuck_.

He wanted to find words but all that fell out of his mouth was a completely dumb sounding, “Uh-“

Maybe, and thankfully so if the case, she didn’t hear it. Because she kept on going. “But we’ve been in this weird place for a while. I thought- I dunno what I thought.” She smiled, shaking her head as she looked up at him. He was in the process of still looking like an idiot, eyebrows raised, mouth only slightly open. “You and I are busy- and. I get it. But I can’t- I can’t keep resetting into that weird spot every time we come back to each other.”

The terms were so familiar.  
Come back. To each other.  
He could almost barely hear her anymore under the sound of his heart slamming away. Under the screams of joyous agony going on in his brain.

“Uh-“ He did it a second time and this time she must have heard him because she was smiling in a little bit more of a true way.

“I make music. And I make money- more money than is probably fair. I play big shows. But I’m still just me. And you make music- and you make money. And you play shows- and one day you’re gonna get here. I know you will.”

That was all it took to shove him out of his repetitious nonsense, shaking his head. “Oh please. I’m lucky right where I am. “ Lucky and thankful and blessed, really.

“And it’s good that you think that!” She leaned more towards him, a good sign. “But you’re gonna go places. And then you’ll know what this,” Sliding a hand back and forth between the both of them. “feels like.” He arched a brow, not completely convinced, but unwilling to stop her from speaking. “Until then I can’t- I can’t wait around for you to figure it out.”

This was like a crushing almost too devastating blow. She’d punched him square in the gut, at least that’s what it felt like. His knees were about to give out. “Oh-“

Yet she was still smiling. “Because I don’t want to.”

“Oh-“

He was feeling too many things at once. His brain couldn’t keep up. Hope kept blazing up over the proverbial horizon and blinding him.

Her smile curved even wider and she actually laughed. Something that, even though clearly at his own expense, soothed his very soul. “So I’d really like that tour. And I’d really like to hang out with you this week.”

“Oh- me too. For sure.” Pushing past a third iteration to actually make something of it. His blood was rushing. Excitement was crowning- he suddenly realized he was smiling like an idiot at her.

“And I know it’s hard- I really love your music, Danny. All of it.” He felt that wobble. The oncoming melting-into-a-puddle feeling. Her smile warmed. “And when you look at me when I say things like that it’s hard to not keep on saying them. But I know how it feels because when you said it to me on the train, I wanted to hear you say it a million times more.”

“I do love your music.” Ejected out of him like a rocket. “All of it- every track. Every line, every note-” It was the look on her face that made more come out. In that moment he knew they were the same.

Had they been the whole time?

“I just want to get to a place where loving each other’s music doesn’t make it weird.” Whatever ‘it’ was- is- Danny wanted it. He wanted it so bad. And she seemed to, too.

So there had to be a way to make it work. “Me too.” He would find one. He had to. Not just for her- but for him, too. He needed... needed it so badly..

“Good.” Bright. So bright. He realized they were suddenly standing by the door- when that had happened he couldn’t say. She must have been leading him, and he must have not been paying attention because he’d been so interested in only her. “So I’ll text you tomorrow after rehearsal, okay?”

He had to make plans. Not big plans- but he had to think this out. What to show her. What to do. It had to be great. “Yeah- good. Okay.” Smiling like the dope he is at her. He stepped outside the door, she leaned against its frame.

Thoughts of kissing her took him again. He wanted to. Wanted to pull her in, keep her close, his hands on her hips, his lips on hers. Instead he hesitated- again- and she waved. “Goodnight.”

“Night.” But he was still smiling. How could he not? He waved back, she waved yet again and then she closed the door. He turned away, walked a little, and then a jolt ran up his spine.

He hadn’t blown it! Imagine that! Fucking imagine that... unbelievable. And there was hope. So much hope. It wasn’t over. Things were only just starting. The second he got into the elevator he pumped his fist up and down a few times, unable to contain himself.

“Oh fuck!”

Unable to hold this in, too. Because honestly.  
When did life ever go this smoothly for him?

“Fuck...” Leaning back against the wall after exerting all that energy.

He was gonna get her. He was gonna get this girl. Make her his. He had to. Just had to...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join the fun over at the EnvelopesYou tumblr!


	8. Chapter 8

His wires had been crossed for the rest of the evening before, making sleep almost impossible. Thinking of a million and one different ideas, things to do, places to take her, moments to create. He had to, absolutely _had_ to make memories that would last. So that when she went back to the city, and she would (didn't everyone eventually return?), she wouldn't be leaving for good. There was a real sense of permanence here that he found himself questioning. Was there purpose in this? Meaning? What was he trying to accomplish? And to these questions he found few answers. 

  
For the longest time he'd just satisfied himself with short, almost meaningless flings. Those were easier. And after how many times he'd tried and fallen, safer. She wasn't like that, though. And he couldn't begin to pick apart the reasons- whether good or bad. Did he feel like this simply because he loved her music? Or did he feel like this because he loved _her_? Something that still he had yet to figure out. Soon he would really have to come to an understanding on it. Very, very soon.  
  
As in, that morning he knew he should have had an answer. But he just didn't. Was he risking everything by going into this blind on feeling alone? What made it that more difficult was that he wasn't sure how she felt. Was she, too, struggling with the same questions? All that she'd said in the hotel room the night before was that she liked him. He liked her, too. He was more certain of that than anything now. So on that alone this was worth moving forward on.    
  
The grumps hanging around in the office teased him throughout the morning as he hashed out some stuff with Brian at the main table. Poked and prodded. Asked him if he'd spent the entire night with her- though Barry knew that hadn't been the case. Asked him when she'd come back. Asked him if he'd gotten around to asking her if they could play something in her show. Asked him questions that they really didn't need answers to, but that he tried to give where he had. -and then asked him if he was seeing her again, to which the answer was a resounding yes- yes today, in fact. And tomorrow too, hopefully. And the day after that, and the day after that...  
  
"You've got it bad."  
  
Something he didn't need stated to him, but that helped clear his conscience up nonetheless. He did. He did have it bad. And it was for her. Not the idea of her. Not just her music, though both those things were wonderful. It was her. After spending what little time he had with her now, he knew. He did indeed have it bad. And he couldn't wait to see her again.  
  
Her text came in a little later than he had been looking for, not that he'd really solidified any plans with himself.  
_Just got finished at the studio. You can head over to the hotel if you want or I could meet you somewhere?_  
  
And since he hadn't quite finalized anything, and he didn't want her to have to head out anywhere on her own, his answer-  
_Nah, I'll come catch you at your room._  
  
Trying so desperately so to seem cool. The very epitome of exactly what he was not. He sat up from his position on the bench, shouldering on his jacket one arm at a time, holding his phone carefully. Another text came in.  
  
_Sounds good! You can just come up. I need to take a quick shower. Be careful though ok? My manager is around._  
  
His eyebrow arched to this. Her manager? Was he supposed to be afraid? The way she was saying it made it seem very so. Be careful. What kind of a warning was that?  
  
_I'll do my best, ma'am._  
  
Trying still to be smooth. Whatever he was being warned about he'd figure it out when he got there, like he did with most things.  
  
_Don't ma'am me! Please!_  
  
To this he found himself giggling as he waved goodbye to everyone at the space, receiving a murmured crowd response of pretty much non-attention. They knew he'd been planning to leave. With that done he took off, down the stairs, into the parking lot, into his car, and then on the road towards her hotel. The thought of how exactly he was going to get into her ridiculous suite if she was in the shower hit him about halfway there, but he figured she must have meant something quick. She'd probably be done by the time he got there.  
  
Once there he felt that terrible giddiness return, definitely not good for someone who wanted to play it cool. Not good at all. He tried to take a couple of deep breaths in the elevator- and then when he got to her floor he tried to remember exactly what door it was. He ambled down the hall a little, doubling back when he realized he must have missed the one that was hers. Double checked the numbers with his murky and terrible short-term-memory, and then raised a hand to knock.  
  
But before he could complete the action he was met with the door opening. His smile that was meant for her was met with... someone else entirely. A very stern looking woman dressed in business-casual. Hair pulled back in a tight bun, glasses sitting on her nose, and eyes darkly peering up through them at him. Danny instinctively took a step back. Maybe he had the wrong room... "Uh- sorry- I-"  
  
"You're the guy, right?" Okay. Not wrong room. Just wrong person. The text came back to mind. Be careful. So this was the trouble.  
  
"I'm _**a**_ guy, yes." Regaining his smile again after just another moment.  
  
The woman seemed completely unamused with this response and finally stepped outside, letting the door shut quietly behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him another glance up and down, inspecting it seemed. He felt very awful all of a sudden. Very aware of just what a mess he must have looked like. Somehow it had been okay to come to her room looking like. Well. Himself. Hair a wild wreck, holes in his jeans, stubble growing in, old t-shirt on underneath his jacket. But now... now-  
  
"I've done some research on you." Not good. Never good. No good ever came out of someone that looked like her saying that to someone like him. This was headed somewhere bad very quickly. He stuck his hands in his pockets and said nothing, because he knew she had more to say. "I know she likes your music- I don't really get it, but whatever. I think it's dumb, honestly." This he could handle. Not even close to the harshest critiques he'd ever gotten. "But she likes it. ... _really_ likes it, I'm sure you know." He did know. But he continued to remain silent. "I don't know what you're after, she doesn't seem to know either. And after listening to your music-"  
  
"Oh- no please, that's not- It's a joke," Finally finding words coming out of his mouth. Not even to defend himself really, but to defend her sensibilities instead. ...and defend himself, a little. He and Danny Sexbang were two entirely different entities, and he couldn't have her manager of all people thinking that he was about to Sexbang all over her client.  
  
"I got it." Her dry tone and interruption shut him right up. "I get that it's a joke. But then I listened to some of your Game Grumps episodes." The way she said the show name was so entirely curt that it almost cut him like a knife. "And you talk about all these wild escapades with these 'girls you're with at the time'." Finger-quoting him and everything. "I don't want her to just be another story to end up on your show. Or another stupid song that you write."  
  
Danny's hands went up in defense immediately. "No- I'd never. This isn't- it's not like that." It really wasn't. He'd come to that conclusion much earlier in the day. "And look, if you don't want me to talk about her on the show I won't. Ever. If you have some document for me to sign or something I totally will." Because he wouldn't jeopardize her integrity over something like that. Never. To think that's what her manager already thought... it stung a little. More than he thought it should have.  
  
The woman's eyes narrowed, almost visibly calling him a liar with that one glance. " _Anyway_." This word harder than anything else. Like what he'd said was completely useless in this conversation. Like she didn't need it- or more likely, probably, was that she didn't want to hear it. His hands went right back into his pockets, feeling ever so much like a child being admonished. Admonished by a parent who didn't approve. It sucked. "She likes your music. And I don't want you to use that to get an in with her. She's- she doesn't deserve to be treated like that. And if I find out that's what you're doing I will end your career faster than you can blink."  
  
Correction. This didn't just suck. It blew. And hurt. For anyone to think that he would use someone like that- ...and then he thought back to the show at the Delancey. While he'd been fantasizing hadn't he.. thought a little... No. Still. "It's not like that." Said a little firmer, standing up for himself. He wasn't like that. He'd never take advantage of someone like that. And he wasn't about to stand there and let someone who had never met him accuse him of it. Didn't matter who she was.  
  
"Everything else I've heard about you suggests this is just some shitty fling for you until she leaves again." The worst part about this was, she wasn't wrong. And that sucked more than any of the rest of it. How could he defend himself against something that seemed like the most likely option? "And I know this might put a damper on whatever you think you've got going on right now- I know you probably don't plan to marry her but listen to me. And I mean really listen." He pressed his lips tight together and just nodded. What more could he do? "I'm not just her manager. I'm her _friend_. And I know she likes you. And maybe you like her. I'm just asking you as a decent person... don't hurt her."  
  
He stayed quiet and really processed the meaning of all of this. Stayed quiet to show that that was exactly what he was doing. He couldn't make promises like that. Did he see himself doing it? No. Of course not. But what if he said that he wouldn't and then something awful happened anyway? "I don't plan to." He really didn't, and that was the best that he could do. The best that he could say.  
  
"Alright."  
  
The air felt just a little more clear. Yet despite this Danny felt absolutely terrible. A real switch in his mood from where he'd started that morning.  
  
"Now, she said something about you wanting to play a song with her during the show?" This was business all of a sudden, which only hammered in her point just that much more. Not just a manager but a friend.  
  
"Oh- my buddy just mentioned it during dinner but I don't- it's her show." And whatever she wanted was what was going to happen.  
  
The woman nodded. "Yes it is. And she said you wanted to play. And she wants you to play. But we don't have an age restriction." This was an instant no, like a setup for failure. Oh you wanna play the show? Too bad.  
  
He waved his hand. "That's okay we'll get the next one or something." He just had to accept it for what it was.  
  
"We can't brand you, that's all- and you can't sing any of your songs." Suddenly this woman seemed entirely more helpful. "If you wanted to sing one of hers with her that's fine, or if you had something _else_..." Anything that wasn't about boners and banging, was what she was implying.  
  
A lightbulb went off. "Oh- actually. You know- our buddies from a different band are coming up to some work with us. TWRP, that's Tupper-"  
  
"I know what it is."  
  
His hands went up again as it to say _so_ sorry for the inconvenience. Then he continued. "We have a song that we haven't put out yet that I'd really like to play with her." It was perfect. An absolutely perfect song.  
  
"To get you a pass you need to come to rehearsal at least once. Can you and these guys do that?" One of his ultimate dreams was being served up to him on a silver platter-  
  
Not just one. A couple. Singing a stadium show with her? And singing a song _to_ her? Nothing better. "Heck yes we can. What day works?"  
  
"Ask her. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear it." The woman turned back to the door, sliding the room key in the reader and then opened it for him. "I'm on my way out. It was nice to meet you, Daniel." Just straight business. "Don't tell her I threatened you."  
  
"No problem- and just Danny is fine." Grinning at her, finding his mood better so very suddenly. "It was nice meeting you Ms...?" Tone leading up where he realized he had no idea what her name was.  
  
"Adleman. Dina is fine."  
  
He waved at her. "Bye, Dina." She simply nodded her head and then closed the door, seeing herself on her way, leaving him in that ridiculously spacious suite by himself. The sound of the shower wasn't filtering in so he realized she must have been finished. Which was good. He walked a little further in, drawn to the windows and the view of downtown, but stopped by the piano. The cover wasn’t down over the keys so he slid his fingers over the top few notes, trilling off until he walked all the way around.

“Hey- sorry- didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” Her voice sounded hurried even though he’d barely been there for a full two minutes. ...in the room anyway. 

He turned away from the sights, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Wasn’t waiting too long.” Smiling at her. Trying to keep his nerves in check. She seemed dressed, jeans and a tee and sneakers, but her hair was still damp and she was toweling at it gently. “That Dina though... _whew..._ tough cookie to crack.” 

“Oh- oh no I’m so sorry. Did she harass you?” She frowned at him, stepping closer towards the windows with him. “I warned you!” Smiling, just a little, even though she was clearly still nervous. 

"You did!" Danny found himself laughing before shaking his head. "But- no, she was just. Trying to,  figure me out, I think." He hoped, anyway. It made the accusations a little easier to swallow that way. 

She arched an eyebrow up at him. "And what did she figure out?" 

"Hopefully good things!" He could only hope. He'd stood up to her the best he could, told only the truth. Hopefully she would see he was a decent person here for a good reason. "-and she wanted me to ask you when you wanted me to come jam." 

It didn't immediately click, but when he saw the lights go off in her eyes he swore he could feel his heart warm a severe couple degrees. In danger of melting. The excitement burst across her face. "Really! Oh I'm so glad! Whatever you wanna play- uhm- whenever you wanna practice! It's mostly just to get sound and things set up- and to make sure we don't bumble. If you want to sing with me! You can totally just. Sing on your own if you wanted to!" Willing to give her show away to him for whatever he wanted to do. That was just who she was. 

And it spoke volumes about just how much she really did like his music. Liked him. Respected him as a musician. He didn't really know how to place all those feelings at once. Overwhelming, to say the least. Instead he hinged on something much easier. "Of _course_ I wanna sing with you! Don't be silly." Duh. So very _duh_. 

"Do you know what song you wanna do?" At this, Danny couldn't really be sure if her manager had drilled her as hard as she had him. Probably not, all things considered. Maybe she didn't know the parameters that had been pre-laid out.

And if that was the case, he'd rather it stay that way. Not let her know that he'd been basically banned from doing anything of his own- because it didn't matter. Not with what he had in mind. "Uh- I actually- the guys from TWRP are coming in tonight- and we have this new song that's not out yet."

"Oh! I **loved** The Hit! Something like that?" Every time she talked about his music that way it felt like his stomach did a flip. And it was _every_ time. She adored his music, that much he could see from the glow on her face. The light in her words. The excitement. 

"Yeah, yeah. Something like that." He needed to talk with them, but he was sure they'd do it. He wasn't sure why, but he was sure. That alone was enough to let him start making plans. "Let me talk with them and we'll figure it out from there." 

Something seemed to catch her attention though. Her glee died down as she looked up at him. "Dan- are you okay?" She seemed very unsure in asking. Almost like she might be overstepping her bounds.

He hadn't really realized he'd been backing off until she asked. "Oh- yeah- I just. ...don't tell her I said this but Dina kinda really knocked me on my ass." He hadn't been expecting to get such a throw down coming up here. All he'd had plans to do was try and woo his lady musician. It really had knocked the wind out of his sails. "I just need to catch my breath in a way." 

She nodded at him. "Sure. And- look, I'm really sorry about her. I don't know what she said but I can imagine it wasn't good." He wasn't sure why but this hurt him on some level. To know that she knew that her manager already didn't have a good feeling about him. It wasn't her fault, but... "We can sit down if you want?" Taking it easy for the rest of the afternoon would be great. 

But it wasn't what he had in mind. "Actually I think fresh air will be good." Not to mention he _had_ made plans. 

Her smile assured him this was the right move to make. "Sure. Let me just grab my wallet and phone." He nodded at her to let her go back to her- at least what he assumed was her- bedroom, walking ahead back towards the front door. Her voice came out from the room. "Oh- and I know I said I'd be free all day but I need to come back in at eight!" 

"That's fine!" Calling back to her. That gave them plenty of time to hang out. 

He almost asked her what for but she chimed back in to answer without him having to do so. "I've put off some stuff for the new album and I think I'm ready to work on it again." 

As she came back over to him and said this his mind lit up in all sorts of colors. She wanted to come back in to work on music. Apparently had found enough relief and life and inspiration here that she could- did he _want_ to take credit for that? Of course he did but... more importantly... "This might be a sleazy weird thing to ask," Considering all those talks they'd had about what _this_ was. But he just **had** to go for it, "but can I come and hang out? I mean-" His hands shot up. "I know music writing can be a super private thing and I'm really sure you don't want an audience- you know- I'm sorry- just forget it-" He felt so bad for imposing. 

But every single bit of negativity fled as she reached up, taking one of his hands in hers. "I'd really like that." 

If there were colors flashing before there were absolute god damn _fireworks_ now. "Oh-uh- oh. Good. Me too, I mean." Smiling softly, more dopey than he realized. His fingers linked with hers. So easily. So very easily. 

She swung their hands a little with a cheery grin. "So. Where are we headed?" 

He opened the door, leading the both of them out. Not letting go of her for anything. As long as he could. "There's this place called Jewel City." She made a little ' _ooo_ ' noise to this as he called for the elevator. "It's got sort of great-terrible food." Affectionately put. "And bowling-" 

At this she gasped, the elevator doors opening. "What if I'm no good at bowling! What if my best score is like a- like aaa... thirty! ...that's a bad score, right?" Looking up at him curiously. 

His giggle was inevitable. "Considering three hundred is the best score you can get I mean. _Yeah_. Pretty awful." He held his free hand up. "But! Don't worry. We'll put out bumpers for you. It's not about if you're good." 

"I feel like I'm eight and having a birthday party." This came out of her with a giddy sort of excitement, instead of dejection. "Will you go out onto the lane if my ball gets stuck?" 

"Yes I will go out onto the lane and break my neck attempting to get your ball for you." He let her swing their hands again as the elevator doors opened and they walked across the lobby. 

Then she nodded. "Good. ...but I'm pretty good at wii-bowling!" 

"Oh. You know. Same principal. Chuck some shit in some type of way." Grinning like an idiot then as they got outside. "Typically to knock down pins, I think." 

"Oh good. So at least I'm with a master." They were approaching his car too fast. He didn't want to let go. 

"A master of many things. I teach good and shit." And then there they were. She was laughing at her side of the car, hand still in his. He was laughing back. Unable to let go. He was terribly aware that an awkward moment was approaching. Oh god- it was closing in on him- the laughter was ending- they were still standing there- 

She was looking up at him. "...should I let go first?" Almost bashfully asked. 

God. They really were like fucking teenagers. "I think you gotta." He wasn't sure he could. 

Visions popped in and out of his head. He wanted to kiss her. Hold her against the side of the car while she slid her hands up his chest. Clutched at his shirt. Kiss her senseless. Make her say ' _forget the bowling alley_ '. And _'let's go back up to the room_ '. God he wanted- 

Her hand let go of his and he nodded almost gratefully. Tried to wash his thoughts out because getting a boner _now_ would just be the worst. "Alright. Here we go!" Reaching into his jacket to get his keys out, unlocking her door with the press of a button and then getting in on his side. 

Danny quickly got another slice of heaven when he plugged his phone in through the AUX cord and they sung together. Every time he got the chance it was like euphoria. Sweet and real and- terribly frightening. Though he was very used to goofing off while singing, being over dramatic and shimmying- the thought of fumbling lyrics in front of her or hitting a wrong note was terrifying. At least it started out that way. But he wasn't going to let her out Billie Jean him. Or out Tom Sawyer him- or out anything him.

Because that's not what she did when she sung with him. Almost like her voice belonged with his. He'd never be so egotistical about his own voice. Proud, sure. -scratch that, make that damn proud. He knew he could sing. He loved to sing. But her singing mixed with his was gorgeous. More hers than his, obviously. But it made him feel... made him feel..

Everywhere he'd been, everywhere he wanted to go- all of it was worth it. The past and the future collided in one single road instead of two distant paths forward and back. He felt middling in a vast open field. Warm and welcome and free. Real and tangible. Like he could see the bars hanging thick in the air across his dashboard. And he was so very sure that if he went another day without fooling around singing in the car with her he'd be less put together because of it. 

But that came to and end swiftly, too, when he pulled into the parking lot and turned the car off. Luckily she left him almost no time to dwell on it, hopping out of her side and rounding to his. When he came out he was hoping she'd stick her hand in his again but she merely smiled up at him, he smiled back, and then they walked into the bowling alley. 

It was cool and dark with very little people around. Just a couple of dedicated bowlers in opposite lanes. There was a reason he'd picked a bowling alley midday at the start of the week. No people. Trying to look out for her, first. ...and their time together, second. Yet when they approached the counter he felt her shying back behind him. Something that sunk his heart. But he didn't stilt or make a scene over it. Not while the guy at the counter was watching. "Hey, can we have a lane please?" He reached into his jacket to take out his wallet. 

The guy was so-very-obviously trying to look around him at the girl he'd brought in. "Shoe sizes?" 

"Fourteen. And uh-" He felt almost actually glad he didn't know enough about her from years of watching her career to answer this. 

When he half turned she looked up at him with a nervous smile. "Seven and a half." 

And when he turned back to see the dude at the counter still obviously trying to check her out, he realized where the anxiety was coming from. He brought his shoulders up and inched just a little more in front of her, tilting his head to try and catch the kid's eyes. No manners. "Fourteen and seven and a half." And then, thinking better of it, "Can we have the lane aaaaall the way at the end, please?" Smiling as nicely as he could. 

The guy turned around to go root through the boxes on the bottom. "Fourteen is rough dude." 

Danny leaned against the counter. "Oh, tell me about it." While the guy was still digging around he motioned for her to go to the last lane. Her smile was grateful then. 

He handed over the wallet as the kid came back with the boxes. "Hey uh- isn't that totally that singer girl?" 

"Huh?" Asked as innocently as he could. "No I don't know what you're talking about." The guy must have seen them coming in. 

The kid motioned his hands, as if that would help. "You know. The one. Doing the big show this week? Has like- songs on the radio and shit?" 

Danny frowned with a purse of his lips and shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about." Was this life for her? All the time? He had to imagine it might have been... and she'd had bodyguards at the show, hadn't she? Did she .... did she need them now? 

"Hm." Sounding about halfway convinced as he handed Dan his card back. "If you say so." 

He threw his card in his pocket and grabbed the boxes. "Thanks man." The kid just waved him off and he walked down the way towards the last lane where she seemed to be tinkering with the computer. "Heeere you go." Sitting down next to her, handing her her shoes. 

"Thanks..." Now she was the one who seemed wind-less. "Hey I'm... I'm sorry about... about all that.." 

His eyebrows knit as he put on a playful face. "What? That? Oh. No it's okay. I get recognized _all_ the time." Trying to coax a smile out of her.

When he got exactly that he felt relieved. "I'm sure you do." The way she said this was warm and hopeful somehow. "It's not that I wouldn't.. sign something or take a picture- I like my fans- I do- I just... when it's just me out with my friends.." 

"Nonono I totally get it. You don't need to explain it to me." He hooked a thumb backwards towards the counter. "That guy, anyway? Not a fan. He just asked if you were 'that singer girl'." 

"Oh." She breathed out a sigh of what sounded like relief. "Then I don't feel bad snubbing him." 

Dan nodded. "Good." He opened his box, slipping out of his sneakers and into those uncomfortable, sleek bowling shoes. He'd put up with it for now. But- "Oh- shit!" 

"What! What!!" Scaring her with his sudden outburst. 

He absolutely could not help a little giggle. "Sorry... I forgot to ask about the bumpers.." And he honestly didn't feel like going back up there now. 

She just shrugged. "It's okay. Wii-bowling champ, remember?" Standing up she went over to the lane to test out what balls were laying in their chute. 

"Right. Right." He looked up at the screen. "So. Which one of us is Team Nutbuster and which one of us is Team Turkeycream?" 

Good absolute god.  
This woman was perfect. 

She picked up a purple sparkly ball, seeming not to have much trouble with its weight. "Which one is first?" 

"Turkeycream!" 

"That's me!" Triumphantly cheered as she took her place up to the line, took a bit of an awkward running start, didn't hold back nearly far enough- let go- and sent the ball straight into the gutter. "Alright go Turkeycream!" 

His laughter poured out of him. "You'll get that thirty!" He sat back and watched her take the ball from the chute and tried again to line up, not back up far enough, not lean far enough and then throw it with almost too much leeway. Anymore and it'd have taken her with it. But at least- "Whoo! One pin!" That was progress, right? 

She seemed ashamed in that playful way as she came to sit back down with him, exchanging places. "Show me what you got nutbuster." 

He went up to the balls laying in wait, testing a few out before picking up a perfect blue one with white stripes. Made for him, obviously. Couldn't have been any better if it had the star of David on it. "Now- I didn't make fun of you for getting a gutterball..." Said as he tried to line up his shot. 

"That sounds like someone who's gonna roll a 25 game!" 

Once he'd gotten himself situated with the arrows on the board he took a steadying breath in and then out. And then ambled himself up the alleyway up to the line, throwing the ball with too much hook as he stuck his back leg out, sinking the pins to the left before spinning into the gutter. It had been a while since he'd last gone bowling. His tongue clicked against his teeth. But when he turned to walk back he saw her sitting up. 

"That was awesome!" 

He ran a hand back through his hair as he waited for the ball to come back down the lane. "It was okay." For a start. 

"Can you teach me?" And suddenly the sizzling rivalry between nutbuster and turkeycream seemed so very unimportant. 

He motioned for her to stand and she obeyed, getting to her feet. "Sure. I mean. I'm not great but- I can teach you not to throw gutterballs at least." Smiling at her as she came forward. He picked up her ball, handing it to her carefully and then took her by the shoulders back over to the lane. His right hand stayed there as his left moved past her. "Alright, now see those arrows..." Explaining bowling was a little harder than he thought it would be- not that she didn't know how, exactly. 

Wii-bowling was hardly real bowling but it would certainly give you a sense of the core mechanics. When he was done explaining how to line up a shot he walked her right up to the line, arms around her, hands bracing over top of hers at the ball. "Follow me here." Murmured softly behind her as he eased back away, putting his arm over top hers as he tried to show her out to throw a center shot. "If you want it to go straight down, when you build up enough momentum, you hook back like this," He tilted away, one of his hands going to her hips instinctively to center her where she should be, his other hand staying with hers on the ball, and then swinging forward very slowly so she wouldn't drop it. 

"And then you let go like this-" He edged his leg back, hand on her hip falling to hers to get her to follow him. "-while you move like this-" 

It wasn't until he brought her hands back center that he realized- 

Just how right she felt draped against him. How she was definitely leaning a little bit more than she should have been. Back into him. Into his hands. He couldn't bring himself to believe it was wishful thinking. Not when they both stood regularly again and he looked down at her, and she was looking up at him. 

He just wanted to kiss her. That's all he wanted to do- 

"Can I try?" Her voice broke his thoughts. 

Forcing a nod he let go of her, stepped away. "Go ahead. Take my last shot." He walked back but didn't sit, waiting with his arms crossed as she followed him. Waited as she tried to line it up like he'd shown her. Held the ball. Walked briskly forward. Angled maybe a little too much when she let it go- but sent it sailing straight center down. Enough to knock the rest of his pins. 

"Aah!" Her hands went above her head.

And when she turned back he mirrored her excitement. "You did it!" 

"I did it!" 

Instinctively he opened her arms as she came forward and threw herself into him, hugging her hard. "You're gonna bowl a _40_ for sure now!" Giggles wrapped up in the sound of her own. 

When she looked up from his chest the world was shining in her eyes. Gratefulness and happiness and light. All because he'd shown her how to throw a bowling ball. But there was something else- he couldn't quite decipher it. 

_Thank you for being you. For not telling me 'beginner's luck'. For being excited with me over something so small. This is why.. this is why I love you..._  
  
Whatever it was, he was sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life looking at her with that spark in her eyes. 

Even when it did end up being beginner's luck, he tried to encourage her. She wasn't throwing exact gutter balls, but it was pretty much just knocking over one or two pins. The last few rounds she started getting better- enough to ask for another game. Something he absolutely could not deny her. The next she got better. A score about twenty points less than his own. So she asked for _another_ game. And he said yes to this one, too. Because he couldn't say no to her.  
  
That game led to some food being ordered. To them talking about little pieces of things while munching. Talking and eating more than playing. And then playing when they'd stopped. It was how they spent almost the entire day. Until she spied the clock up on the computer screen. "Alright. Last shot." 

"Last shot." Agreed. Not because he particularly wanted to leave. Or stop spending time with her. He really, really didn't. But because...

  
When she knocked over most of the pins and then finished the set- but still lost the game, she was a good sport about it. Arm hooked around his waist as they walked out of the bowling alley together after changing out of their shoes. "We'll play wii-bowling. See who wins next time." 

His laughter was warm as he led her to the car. "Then you can teach me how to play." 

"I don't know it would work the other way around!" Smiling up at him as he held her car door open for her.

"I'm very willing to see." All his nervousness about blowing it, about needing desperately to make an impact, and all his upset at Dina's insinuations seemed to have melted so easily. Just spending time with her... it made his world better. 

The drive back to the hotel was just as rambunctious and full of jams as before. Their walk up to the hotel room even more so. He'd almost forgotten why she'd wanted to come back at eight in the first place. _Almost_. 

"You can sit anywhere. I need the piano." The promise of this had been hushed into the back of his mind. But now that he was here... 

She disappeared into her bedroom again and he pulled a kitchen chair from its spot at the bar right up to the piano. And then brought a little side table with him. When she emerged from her room with a notebook in hand he patted the piano bench. "So. What are you playing?" Excitement rekindled. 

Her shoulders moved up in a short shrug. "I dunno yet. I figured.. I'd let it come to me." She moved over to sit at the bench, swinging her legs around. "Just don't laugh at me if it's terrible or whatever." Already her hands were at the keys, warming up.

" _Pfft_." Once. And then again harder for good measure. " **Pfffffttttttt**."

"Alright alright!" Laughing at him. "Don't get spit all over me!"  

The sound of giggles died down and practice on the keys turned to something soft and lulled. She hummed along and like a siren's song called him deep down. He edged his seat closer, eventually coming to rest his arms up over the edge of the piano, laying his head in them. Watching her work. 

" _The time and tides are on the rise.._." Her voice slid into melodic heaven. Coaxed him into a dreamy state. Every now and again she'd take one hand off the piano and scribble lyrics down in her notebook. " _Bring me back... a clear world without lies.._ " 

When something didn't fit she'd scribble her previous pencilings out and write next to them. But he stopped paying attention to her writing bars and lyrics in her notebook. Instead focused only on her. The sound of her voice as she sung about the boulevard she'd never been on. The city she felt chained to. Some light- " _Haloed sweetly in your smile.._ " 

Her voice touched high notes before sliding into a lower register and he felt like she was pulling his heart out of his chest. Wrapping it up. Keeping him safe. Making him want for so much more. Her voice was like a gentle reminder of something he'd forgotten so long ago. Something he'd wanted all his life but shelved until he could find the resolve. Finding it here with her. 

Put into a little safe space, attempted to be forgotten but impossible. At least until she sung. Until her lips shaped each word. Until her voice echoed in the space of the room, harmonizing with her fingers sliding so effortlessly across the keys as she verbalized a view so clear in her head. Made him see everything through her eyes. 

Her beautiful eyes. Sometimes closed as she got more into it, then half open. Forgetting to write the longer she went on. Instead just playing. Half-lidded as the music took her, and as she took him along with it. He had no idea who he was anymore, just that he only was with her. And that was all that mattered.  
And that he was so, _so_ , _**so**_ deeply in love with her. 

A look that read clearly on his face. In his dazed brown eyes, catching the sight of him leaned over her piano as she looked up from her spot. Eyes only for her. A look that was only _because_ of her. It set a skittering few plucks from the strings of her heart. Gently. Like he was playing her the way she'd been touching the piano. Soft and intrinsically. Like she belonged with it- and now like he belonged with her. 

Her face warmed as her hands came to a stop somewhere close up top, having slid over closer. " _Danny_..." Calling out to him so gently, but half-singing, still. Holding his name on a note that suddenly sounded like it only belonged to him.  
The visions didn't come then. Nothing filled his head save the ring of her voice, clear as a bell. And that was why he didn't wait that time. 

He leaned in closer, not having very far to go. His palm found the space of her dusted-pink cheek, and his lips found hers. Her hands came to his chest, not pushing or pulling, but holding carefully there. Just as carefully as he found himself kissing her. Scared to break the illusion. Scared to tread further and lose the very thought- 

She helped him instead, tilting her head to the side, lips parting against his, and he became instantly lost in the feel of her tongue brushing against his.  
But that was absolutely nothing, paled in comparison, to the sound of her sweet, sweet moan shared between them. The feel of her hands curling in his shirt. Desperation. Oh- _oh_... 

Need and want flashed hotly in him then. But he held back. Staved everything off. Held out just so that he could keep her right where she was. Keep kissing her until she decided it was over. 

When that moment came he found himself lurching forward in a similarly desperate attempt to kiss her again- unaware of his own movements. She tilted her head up, kissing him softer in an almost apologetic fashion. Bringing his attention back. His eyes opened, catching sight of her looking at him. Something swimming in her gaze that he still for the life of him could not decrypt. 

_I need you. I want you. But I'm so terrified of losing everything by going too far. Please don't lose interest...  
_

  
Maybe it was for the best. Instead he smiled, dazed as it was. "That's a- uh.. that's a good song." 

Her tiny laughter brought him all the way back around as she leaned away. "You think so, huh?" 

The implication that it was only good because what came after it struck him hard and he reached forward to touch her hand. Turn her attention back to him. Looked deeply into her eyes. "I mean it though. It sounded really good." 

Her face was flaming red. "Oh- well. I'm glad you liked it." She seemed like she was falling to pieces. And while every single part of him wanted to pounce on that- he just couldn't. Knew he shouldn't. 

"I should probably head out." It killed his entire being to say this. He wanted absolutely nothing more than to stay. Stay forever. Stay with her. 

She nodded. "Yeah. Okay." 

He really needed to collect himself, feeling how hard he'd gotten. He was able to choke back most of it and stand, running his hands back through his hair. She followed him to the door, leaning back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I'll uh-" Opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow though, okay?" 

This seemed to spark back some life in her. He watched some anxiety that he hadn't realized had been there in the first place wash away. "Yeah." Smiling up at him. He had no choice but to smile back. It was instinctual now. Happy because she was happy. "Okay." Then she leaned up and he found himself leaning in to help her. Feeling his knees go a little weak as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. And then in danger of collapsing completely as she whispered in his ear. "Goodnight, Danny." 

Funny how he'd been solid in his spot making out with her. But this- _this_... this was going to send him right to the floor. "Y-yeah. You too." Waving at her as he tried to make his legs work so he could walk away. Listened to the door close quietly behind him. Then put his hand to the wall to steady himself. 

_Oh fuck._  
What was he going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to tumblr user anunfortunatelackofdragons for the music writing scene idea! I hope you loved this chapter as much as I loved writing it!!


	9. Chapter 9

“Well- yeah we’ll play but- I’m not sure we understand what it is we’re doing on Wednesday?”

Danny was parked outside the band’s hotel, trying to explain to them how to get the song past her without her realizing. So that he could- do something big and stupid and confusing at the stadium that would probably blow up in his whole face. The kind of idiocy that he was really, really good at. Second to none. TWRP couldn’t refuse a huge gig like the stadium show with her, and they liked her anyway, so it wasn’t really a problem. _Danny_ was the one causing problems now.

He ran his hands back through his hair. “So- during practice tomorrow, we’re just gonna clip the lyrics at the end- right?” Trying to think it out loud. He wouldn’t have a lot of time to do this, none of them would. It was so last minute that trying anything like this was bound for failure. But at least it would be glorious failure.

“...so you wanna end the song on _one-two-three sports_?” Severely confused- or at the very least trying to tell him that this was the dumbest idea he’d ever come up with. Which was saying a lot. “Won’t that seem... weird?” She wasn’t stupid. Wouldn’t she get the idea that they were withholding something?

Hands came over the back of his seat while he was trying to think it over. “No what we should really do is change them up- like- you’re trying to get her all gushy on stage for you, right, man? So I think what we should do is go until the last _America_ and we’ll fabricate some other bullcrap for you in the meantime.”

Danny found himself nodding. So. Not only was this stupid. It was now dangerous. They could blow the whole gig for themselves. This could hurt their image- but- .... it could also super impress her. “Right? Because _Our lives are turning_ , all that. That’s the stuff you really wanna sing to her, not just the city stuff.” It was a long shot. It was dumb. It was incredibly risky.

“Just nail your harmonies so she won’t get hurt when she’s singing and if you blow it it’s all on you after that. We’ll do uh- we’ll grab her attention on stage so she gets the idea and then you can swoop in and take all the glory.” He looked up in the rearview, seeing four identical grins aimed his way.

They were amazing. “Thanks guys.” This could have ended up hurting all of them but for the sake of his giant crush they were all willing to go along with it. Best friends anyone could have ever asked for, honestly. The giddiness followed him as he left the hotel to drive to the Grump Space. Stayed with him while they recorded episodes for a while. Still stayed with him even as he reminded himself not to talk about her on the show, no matter how much he really wanted to.

When they broke for lunch and he was in the middle of a light bowl of cereal she finally texted him. Let him know that she was sorry that so much time had gone on without her notice. He texted her back to let her know not to worry about it, all with the same dumb grin on his face. He hadn’t had a lot planned for the day anyway. He probably should have, in any other circumstance he _would_ have, but letting things come a little more naturally seemed to fit them better. It at least helped-

So that was why when Arin started ribbing him about the big stupid smile across his face and he got into it for the next fifteen minutes about the fact that he thought they’d just go for a walk or something until they found a nice place to eat, he was surprised to hear yet another fabrication designed with the intent to put stars in her heart.

...but it felt a little wrong. “So- okay- let me get this right...” Danny tried to recap, sitting back on the bench. “Not only do you want me to invite her to karaoke, on a double date, but you want me to straight up _lie_ to her. Sounds like a really great evening.” Inviting her to sing when she’d been practicing all day, inviting her to meet up with people she didn’t know, and then perhaps blowing this encounter by taking on a song with her that he didn’t actually know just for the sake of its romantics. Yes poor planning indeed.

“It’s a really cute song.” Suzy offered, sitting down next to Arin, handing over her phone with the tiny headphones still plugged into the jack. Just to let him listen to it. When he grabbed it and wedged one into his ear, she gave him something better than that- “She really likes it.”

His eyes glanced up and he hovered over the play button. “How do you know that?” While he would have been totally fine cheesing it up with _Summer Lovin’_ , such a good and terrible karaoke couple classic, this information seemed very relevant all of a sudden.

“She played it with a guy- really unknown but great voice- on youtube.” Smiling brightly at him as she waited for him to listen to it. The song was good. Great harmonies they could sing together. Romantic.

Arin looked up from his own phone. “Which is good because- uh- the karaoke place doesn’t have it.” Which would have stood to make sense. It hadn’t been around as a song for that long and it wasn’t terribly popular. But the karaoke place _did_ have a piano...

Danny groaned, putting his head in his hand as he propped his elbow on the table. “You’re turning this into work for her.” Which was the last thing he wanted to do. No matter how much he wanted to sing with her again. They’d get that chance Friday night. He didn’t need to put this on her now.

“You like karaoke, don’t you?” Arin asked, eyebrow arched, trying to get him to see the point.

He just refused to. “Yeah- but-“ He did. Whether or not he also sang for a living, he loved doing it so much that hanging out with good friends and doing it some more only ever seemed like fun.

“I bet she likes it too.” Suzy followed up, getting on the same page with Arin. “Listen to the song, okay? If you don’t like it or whatever then we’ll call the plan a bust.” Giving him that small out. While Danny wasn’t a fan of modern music, she knew that even if he disliked it a little he’d probably go in because she liked it.

Danny heaved a sigh and popped in the other earphone, putting his head in both hands then, closing his eyes so he could concentrate on the song. If they ended up doing this, it would have to be something he’d actually have to learn within the span of- like- an hour. It wasn’t impossible. Totally doable, in fact. Just...

Another breath escaped him as the music played on. He thought about turning it off and asking Suzy to pull up that undiscovered youtube video but... maybe holding out to sing next to her and hearing her the first time would be better. He could hear why she liked it. Not very subtle. In fact overly blown. Just a little. But the harmonies were delicate and just as every bit romantic as the lyrics. Not something he’d have any shame in singing with her. Not like how he might have half-laughed through _Summer Lovin’_.

So now the idea was to invite her to karaoke hoping she’d love the idea, introduce her to the two pairs of eyes hopefully looking up at him from across the table, and then make her play this song just so he could sing with her.

**_She likes the music._ **

He pulled the earbuds out, putting his face in his hands. That damn sentiment had been following him everywhere. She’d be happy to sing it with him. He knew it. But that was using her interests against her. Being a scumbag. He just didn’t know how to walk this line anymore. He thought he liked her- more than- no... he **knew** he loved her. He did. He knew it from the bottom of his heart but it was _hard_. Doing this was hard.

“You okay, man?” Arin was asking, watching him dissolve and not understanding why. The song wasn’t _that_ good.

“I dunno- I dunno that I can do this.” Words almost not making it out of him as he confessed. In the company of maybe the only people he trusted enough to help him. Maybe the only people that could. He kept his face hidden. “Her manager threatened me yesterday.”

“ _What_?” Suzy sounded absolutely shocked. He guessed that was the right way to feel about it. At the time that’s how he’d felt. If not frightened, too.

His left hand combed back through his hair, keeping his chin in his other palm. “-because she likes me. And not- not in the way that people are supposed to like each other.” He knew that. He’d known that since New York. “And I don’t know what to do because- ...because I’m the same way.”

The couple across from him shared a glance, frowning at one another. It didn’t feel good to watch Danny fall apart like this. The problem was beyond them, something they’d never had to deal with. Never would, in fact. Couldn’t fathom, really. Two celebrities falling in love- previously held flames for one another’s works. That sounded... incredibly difficult. They couldn’t understand how Danny was feeling. But they could empathize.

That it hurt. That it was tearing him up. That he didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing and think she’d only go along with it because she was infatuated previously, and in love now. “Have you talked to her about it?”

“Yeah-“ The word popping out of him as if he’d been accused of withholding this information, even when he knew that’s not what they were saying. They would never. “...yeah. We- we’ve talked about it a couple of times but... I think no matter how many times we fuckin’ talk about it it’s never gonna change anything.”

He found himself wishing they had run into each other in the city. When both of them were nobodies. It just would have been easier then. Easier to lose her then, too, and deal with it. Instead of losing her now and hurting like it would be the biggest waste of his feelings in the world.

Shaking his head he chanced a look up at them. They were still frowning. “The thing is I can’t bring it up again. Because she already had this huge end of her discussion with me and she said- she-“ Eyes closing as he tried to remember it fully. Every detail. Every touch of her words in tone and the look in her eyes, “ _I can’t keep resetting into that weird spot every time we come back to each other_.” Remembering, to his own surprise, exactly what she said down to the last detail. “I can’t bring it up again. But I can’t- ... I dunno.” He really didn’t. He was so lost. Had no idea what he was doing.

He just didn’t want to hurt her. Didn’t want to run the risk of using her. He might not have thought about it if her fucking manager hadn’t said anything.

“Dan, you’re not a scumbag.” Arin spoke, finally, unable to sit there for much longer watching him shrink in on himself. When he looked up, “I don’t know why you think that you are but you’re really not.” The only thing he could think to say.

“I don’t-“ Danny was confused so suddenly.

“You do.” And Arin cut him off before he had a chance to rectify this. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be acting like this. What you- you really think you’re using that to get one over on her? To get her into bed?” The words stung as if Arin had leaned over the kitchen table and slapped him across the cheek. And when that’s exactly the emotion that registered on Danny’s face, Arin nodded. “See. Exactly.”

Suzy reached over, patting his arm gently. “You just gotta trust that she’s not, either.” And when Danny drew in the largest breath that would fit in his lungs, both like Suzy had also verbally smacked him, and getting ready to defend her honor, she just giggled. “If she doesn’t wanna do something she’ll say. She knows you like her- and not just because of- well- whatever. All _that_.” Not wanting to give it a name or a place. It was already invading his every thought. No need to dip him back down under. “It doesn’t have to be this fake glossy thing- in fact I’m sure that it isn’t.” Because Danny wasn’t like that. And what she knew of her, she wasn’t either.

They were just two people- two musicians in the world. In love. Sure they’d known _about_ each other before they’d _known_ each other. But that wasn’t an impossible thing to make work. So long as they didn’t flounder on this issue every time something came up. It sounded like, with what Danny had recounted, she’d tried to move on. But he was still hanging on that edge. Terrified.

With those hopeful set of gazes on him still he tried to lighten his mood. But there was a problem here still that was beyond that. Trying to make this right, and yet in the span of less than five hours he’d made two separate plans to lie to her. Harmless lies meant to make her happy, but they were still lies. He drew another mopey sigh in and then back out before smiling. “Thanks, guys.” Then took his phone back out of his pocket and texted her.

_Arin and Suzy floated the idea of karaoke. If it’s weird please say no._

Weird on two fronts. And he absolutely wanted to make sure that she knew she had the option to back out. That she could say no if she really didn’t want to.

_It sounds great!_

Instead she left him with this and he felt his shoulders drooping. Some part of him _had_ wanted her to say no. To refuse and then maybe they could have just hung out quietly together and not done... whatever this evening was going to turn into. “She said she wants to go. So.” Scratching at his scalp, still looking at his phone.

_Just as a heads up, they wanted me to pretend to know a song that you’re gonna have to play the piano to do anyway. That sounded like a lot of work to me so I wanted to give you the heads up._

Say no. Just say ‘no that is too much work can we just have fun like normal people’. But he knew. He already knew in his heart-

_Oh! I mean sure! Don’t tell me what it is I want to be surprised!_

Just like that it was a done deal. He spent the next two hours listening to the stupid song on repeat, already starting to hate it just because what it almost had represented. Another lie and willingness just to do whatever it took. He wanted to forget the part of him telling himself that this wasn’t right. And listening to that song wasn’t going to help. But he also was too scared to completely botch singing with her. Petrified. More than the rest of it. Didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of someone he considered an idol.

The weird place.  
That fucking weird place...

They met her at the karaoke place instead of driving to her hotel and then there. Just seemed easier for everyone. He felt the lag in her when she caught sight of Suzy and Arin, arm-in-arm. Knew that she already knew who they were. Not just because he’d mentioned them in text. But because she watched the show. _Weird place_. This was all a bad idea. Why had he listened to those two? Why was he doing this?

The place was empty. It was Tuesday at six, after all. While he was content to get into _Everybody Wants to Rule_ _the World_ and _Pour Some Sugar On Me_ , while she seemed to ease into _Maneater_ and _867-5309_ , and while Arin and Suzy belted out the best of the 90s- that strangeness settled over them before he had any idea what to do about it or how to stop it.

Arin was still singing faintly beyond them as he looked at her. She was smiling, enjoying herself. Having a good time. He wanted to, too. But it was hard. Then he looked over her shoulder, at the piano. And she followed his gaze as Arin met with the chorus of his latest song, “ _And I need to be redeemed to the one I’ve sinned against!”_

Her hand covered his. “You okay?” The care in which she asked this threatened to shake him to his very core.

He tried a smile on for her and tilted his head forward. “Yeah I- just thinking about that song.” That song, its implications, the one he was about to lie to her on Wednesday about- the show on Friday- her.. just... just her. All of it. Swirling around in his head.

“We don’t have to sing if you don’t want to.” Worry touching at the edge of her kind eyes.

“No!” A little louder than he meant to, startling Arin up on stage who fumbled to recover where Fiona’s backup singers were leaving him high and dry. “No- I mean if _you_ don’t want to, I’d totally get that.” Because it was work. Sort of. Her musical sense was just as deep as his and he knew it. But still...

She looked at the piano again, considering it. “Can you tell me what song it is now?” Not that he’d been the one keeping that a secret, it was her who’d asked.

“Falling In Love.” Such a bland title. Any number of bands could have held that in their album tracks. But there was a light in her eyes. She just knew. Because, as Suzy had said, she liked it. He just hadn’t counted on how much until he’d seen the look on her face just then.

It warmed him- more than. Burned him right into a gooey mush puddle. All he could think about then was nailing the harmonies. God don’t.. _please_ don’t fuck up the harmonies...

When Arin stopped, when the applause for his hard efforts died, she took his hand, walking over to the piano with him. Let him sit on the edge of the bench as she pulled it out for the both of them, and then stuck right to his side, flexing her fingers over the keys. He watched that first, watched her warm up the strings before staying right with her. The room fell silent. Couples got closer together as she played the opening melody that should have been accompanied by their voices but he was too... too mesmerized.

The song had been cheesy and mostly uninspired when he’d heard other people sing it. [But when he heard it through her perception](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76B0zujkrm8)... something slower and infinitely more genuine...

He almost barely missed his cue.

“ _You fill my heart with joy every day. You make me smile.. more than words could ever say.._ ” Doing it right then at her. Warm and filled with awe as she looked away from the keys. As if she didn’t need them. As if _they_ needed her. Would be useless without her talent. Without her guidance.

They might as well have.

“ _You play my love like a blue bass guitar_.” Winking at him with a quick change in lyrics that fit him instead. “ _Plucking the strings that connect to my heart._ ”

They met together. Her vocals lilting higher, his supporting her. “ _Take my hand and let the music play...”_

And then something better happened. The fear that had consumed him so hard before just faded away. Her smile filled him instead and that easy sense of ever blossoming love. Their voices embraced one another in something sweeter than harmony. “ _Round and around we go... when will we stop... who knows? Round and around we dance.. I’ll never stop... falling in love with you...”_

He forgot to sing again as if he just couldn’t catch up to the sheer force of impact the joining of their voices had on the world- had on _him_ , more specifically. She filled out the missing parts with deeper notes but this time he wasn’t in as much danger of his next entry. “ _I tell you secrets that I’ve never told before... you give me kisses.. that leave me wanting more...”_

This time, when she sang, she laid her head on his shoulder and he almost felt in danger of collapsing. “ _When you call me darling, I get weak at the knees... and melt into a puddle.. of helpless melodies...”_

His arm came up around her shoulders, leaning his head against hers, singing as if it was the only thing he knew how to do in his entire life. Singing with her, for that matter. The only thing he had been made for. That he was meant to do. “ _Take my hand and let the music play... round and around we go.. when will we stop.. who knows? Round and around we dance.. I’ll never stop... falling in love with you...”_

She played them in and out again before their voices met up again in senseless words. None of it mattered. It was the sound. Crystal clear and wonderful. Faithful and real. **Real**. True. Not out of obligation. Not out of infatuation. Out of-

_Love._  
“ _Round and around we go.. when will we stop.. who knows?_ ”

_Good god he loved her more than he ever thought it possible to love a person._  
“ _Round and around we dance I’ll never stop.... falling in love with you.._.”

She looked up at him again, smiling infinitely warm. Stars in her eyes. Reflecting from his own, no doubt. His heart hammering at a strong steady beat along with the thrum of her fingers on the piano. Still with her even when their lips weren’t moving.

“ _Falling in love... with... you..._ ”

The house was suddenly packed- at least it had gained a few fair faces since they’d come in about an hour ago when it had been empty. Because there was suddenly thunderous applause all around them. -and sniffling. ... _had they made people cry?_

It broke the world they were in. Cracked it right down the middle as her fingers came to rest over the ivory and they both looked up around. Camera phones were pointed in their direction. But the weird place... it just wasn’t there. Instead they both waved cheerfully from their spot on the bench. Not as two musicians pushed together by some random bit of fate-

_Round and around we go..._

A blue piano in Union Square that he just happened by. Not that.

_When will we stop..._

Instead they were just two people. Singing alongside each other.

_Who knows...?_

How they got out of the crowd, when they said goodbye to Arin and Suzy, getting back to the hotel, arriving at her room- none of that seemed to matter. No detail he could recount as he held her cheeks in his palms. As she leaned up on her tiptoes, hands brushing up his chest.

_I’ll never stop..._

When they kissed everything else faded away. It felt real and right and when she broke away to breathe he only thought of one thing to ask her.

“Can we play it again?”

Her giggles lit up the darkness of the room and her hand found his, leading him over on legs that almost just didn’t quite work after that. Over to the piano. Where he sat on her right. And she laid her head on his shoulder. They were left alone together in the expanse of the room. Together only with the sound of their voices and the piano under her skillful watch.

“ _Falling in love with you.._.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I didn't make at least one person cry I failed. Also come hang out at the envelopesyou tumblr! Also... hey if you liked it say a thing so I know that you said a thing about liking it! It makes me happy inside!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!

The six of them packed in a little car, headed towards the only band rehearsal they’d have before the big show- and yet Dan was the only one who seemed nervous. Or at least he was sure he was the only who _felt_ as nervous as they did. TWRP and Brian were in fine form, joking and laughing amongst themselves as the car pulled around the back of the dome’s lot. Standing there in the shadow of it in the late afternoon, a chill ran across down his back. He felt almost immobilized until a hand clapped his shoulder and he laughed anxiously and then stepped away with them to the back door.

Security checked them, even only for practice. Despite the night earlier- and _oh_ how he couldn’t stop replaying the moments on in his head... couldn’t stop hearing her voice singing next to his, couldn’t stop feeling her lips in those tender and sweet kisses that left him wanting for so much more....

But despite all that, despite knowing that she had a crush on him as big as his own hugely dumb one was on hers, despite knowing that she wanted this, to sing with them and have a good time, he still felt the shivers from the top of his head down to his toes. He’d never been really scared of playing for crowds before. And this wasn’t even _his_ crowd. It was hers. If they didn’t like him that wasn’t really a huge problem for him. Marketing wise, sure, they were hoping to pick up a few new ears, although that wasn’t the real reason he was doing this. At all. The real reason was...

In the hall as they were being escorted to the large practice room he heard the soulful notes of her piano, echoing just over his head as they got further in. And then when they actually got into the room, he saw her sitting at her instrument, a few people standing around, doing nothing save listening to her. And then he and his companions found themselves in the same position as she started singing an old classic.

“ _Stars shining bright above you... night breezes seem to whisper I love you... birds singing in a sycamore tree... dream a little dream of me...”_

The terrified jitters washed right out of him then, too lovestruck to be able to feel anything but dazed. The other men aside him listened happily on, but their eyes moved from her at the piano to him. More aptly- how much of a lovesick fool he seemed to turn to so easily. Mouth hanging half open. Shoulders slumped. Eyes full of only her.

“ _Say nighty night and kiss me... just hold me tight and tell me you miss me.. while I’m alone and blue as can be... dream a little dream of me...”_

Brian was the first to nudge him with an elbow to his side, but Dan seemed relentlessly out of it. It was both good and bad news, as far as he saw it. He’d seen Dan through many a heartbreak. They always seemed to start this way, although Danny’s rapt adoration for this woman seemed just a _touch_ deeper than any he’d seen before. It was what made him afraid. The fall from this one would be almost too hard to  climb back out of. And it felt like Dan had only just convinced himself casual sleeping around wasn’t the way to go when courting a musician he seemed to want to love forever.

If he got hurt after this, what would really happen to him?

“ _Stars fading but I linger on dear.. still craving your kiss... I’m longer to linger ‘till dawn dear, just saying this... Sweet dreams ‘till sunbeams find you. Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you. But in your dreams whatever they be... dream a little dream of me...”_

Brian got fed up with waiting for a reaction that was clearly not coming from gentle nudging. So he reached a hand up to lightly slap the bottom of Dan’s chin to indicate _catching flies?_ without saying as much so as to not interrupt her practice. Danny rubbed the bottom his mouth gingerly, not actually hurt physically, but his pride just a little scorched. Embarrassed entirely but very glad Brian had caught him before she had.

Though the way Brian was looking at him made him feel awkward. That incredibly dry humorless look; sharp stare, thin straight lips, one brow arched. He just shrugged at him and then turned his attention happily back as her jazzy piano solo ended, though now he was very consciously aware of himself. Keeping upright and visibly free from slack-jawed enjoyment.

“ _Stars fading but I linger on dear... still craving your kiss... I’m longer to linger until dawn dear, just saying this... sweet dreams ‘till sunbeams find you. Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.. but in your dreams whatever they may be... dream a little dream of me... dream.. a little... dream of.. me...”_

So consumed in her song she seemed just the slightest bit startled when the light applause of the people standing around sounded off, easing away from her keys with a bright smile. Then she noticed the six of them standing in the doorway and shined all the more, one hand up in a wave before she quickly and carefully got out from behind the piano bench and briskly walked over- not running, it didn’t seem like running, just happy hurrying.

“Hey! I didn’t know you guys were here, nobody radioed!” A short apology, it seemed, for leaving them standing there for who knew how long as she played on. But she was quick, maybe too quick for Dan to properly react as she threw her arms around him. Wanting so desperately to melt against her and hug her back but now with the way Brian had been looking at him he felt prickled. So he gave her half a hug back, something that seemed to register with her for only the briefest moment before she let him go and gave her hello to Brian first and then the members of TWRP.

Since it was their song they were performing with the vocals by Dan, they took a moment to discuss it. And while Dan would have loved to stand there and nod dumbly to whatever they were talking about, Brian chanced the moment to pull his arm and take him back out of the room. Because he already knew what was ahead of them, once outside and out of earshot he just pleaded quietly, “Can it wait?”

“Can it?” Brian shot back with that all too serious look. “I’m starting to wonder if I was encouraging the wrong thing.” Since he had teased and then pushed Dan in the early beginnings of this. He just hadn’t thought it had gotten _this_ bad.

Dan shook his head. “Just say what it is you wanna say so I don’t have to ask you to elaborate ten times.” And so they could get through this quick. He wasn’t angry, or really even miffed. He knew Brian always had his best interests at heart.

“This looks really serious. Are you sure you can handle that?” At first Brian may have easily suspected it’d be a passing fling, or one of those things where they got close and met up in hotel rooms every once in a while. All of Dan’s favorite classics after getting his heart busted so many times. But _now_... “We’re busy. She’s _**very**_ busy.” Doing exactly what Dan had asked and going deeper without being prompted aside that questioning look staring back at him. “When she’s done with this show how long is she gonna stick around? And when she goes then what? How many times are you guys going to be able to realistically meet up? A few times a year?”

Brian cared too much about him to see this end like that again.   
Dan had just barely pulled himself out of the last one.

He felt struck by something else then. A hot wave of shame washed completely over him, up from his gut, crawling deep in his chest, and along the sides of his neck. Flushing his face hot. He had no idea what to say to that. Brian took just a little pity. “Look, I’m not saying it to upset you. And I’m not asking you if your intention is to marry her; I’m not her father. Because if I was I certainly wouldn’t allow her to date a scruffy talentless hack like you.” Trying to rib just a little to bring Dan’s mood around again, reaching up to give him a little pat on the arm. Meaning none of it, and that was the reason he was allowed to joke so crassly.

Dan was one of the most talented, genuine individuals he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. And his best friend. They both knew that. And how he felt.

A little laugh, though tight, escaped from Dan’s mouth, nodding. “I know...” And then this in a sigh. “I don’t know, is my answer. I have no idea. And I- ...I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“‘Looking out for _me_ is more like it. I don’t wanna have to clean up.” This, too, a very plain joke. His brows raising lightly in a _come on_ sort of expression before he patted him one last time and dropped his hands into his pockets. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” Being serious after, look softening. “Not like that.” Where he got so helplessly, hopelessly attached and shattered to pieces when nothing worked out; when distance and being too busy devastated everything. And not for lack of trying, which was what made it harder.

The two of them found themselves engulfed in a tight embrace that initiated from both sides in sync. Dan holding tight, frightened entirely of himself now, which may not have been Brian’s intention, but was the result nonetheless. “I’ll- I’ll try and figure it out before she goes.” Really the best he thought he could do before Brian let him go and gave him another one of those damning looks that read _don’t be an idiot_.

“You _will_ before she goes. Got it?” Not giving him any other option.

It was Dan’s turn to clap him on the arm affectionately with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll get right on that homework, professor.” Arm circling his shoulders to walk them both back into the rehearsal room. “Hey, didn’t you quit your teaching job to be a full time musical ninja? Think it’s about time to stop handing out assignments?”

“You’re never finished teaching idiots. Especially when the idiot happens to be the one you talk to the most.”

Their dual laughter followed them back inside, Dan feeling a least a little more amicable about the sudden realization that this was both out of his control and dangerous. ...a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha and you were excited for Blues to be back!   
> I only brought it back to hurt you.   
> (Just kidding, I love you. Relationships are hard though.)


End file.
